I Don't Believe You
by R5AAFan
Summary: "I never believed in love. And I never will. Because love doesn't exist." Oh, if only he knew how wrong he was... Believe Me in Austin's P.O.V. Third genre: Drama
1. New Girl

**Hey, guys! Welcome to Believe Me in Austin's P.O.V; I Don't Believe You!**

**So, first, I want to give a shoutout to Storygurl16, because even though she hasn't written all of Believe Me with me, I'm keeping the same Austin/Ally conversations, and some were written by her. So, shoutout for that.**

**Second, please, don't expect me to have changed Believe Me a whole lot. It's still the same story, only in a different point of view. So, most of the conversations between Austin and Ally will be the exact same.**

**Also, the chapters may be short. Sorry, it's just hard to write freely when you have conversations to keep the same and everything.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally, or anything else you may recognize in this story.**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

_"Hey, I heard there's a new girl starting school here today."_

This is basically all I've been hearing since I got to school, this morning. Some seem eager to discover what the new kid will be like. Others just don't mind and keep going on with whatever they're doing. As for myself, well... I hate that girl already. Nothing personal, really. I just hate new kids in general. Why? Well, they're just another person who'll look at me like I'm some kind of three-headed alien. Gives you a great feeling about yourself, really (note the huge amount of sarcasm used in that last sentence).

I usually try to ignore the stares as much as possible. New kids usually ask their new friends about me, and when they hear my 'story', they send me some weird look that seems to be a mix of pity, disgust, and sometimes, just a bit of sympathy. The same kind of look teachers tend to give me. Another look that gives you a lot of confidence (again, note the sarcasm).

What's my story? Well, you'll get different answers depending on who you ask. See, if you ask the populars, they'll say I'm some freak who has no one left. According to them, I've been abandonned by my parents as a baby, ran away from the orphanage when I was ten, robbed a bank at twelve to pay for school and food, and have been living on the streets ever since.

If you ask the 'normal kids'—the ones who aren't popular, but aren't losers either—they'll tell you I outcasted myself in second grade, when my only friend left me. No one apparently knows what's my deal. I'd say those people are the closest to the reality. Although, there's still a big part of the story they don't know.

If you ask the teachers, they'll either say that they don't know, or that I'm a mystery impossible to solve. Umm... Alright. Whatever. I stopped caring about what people thought of me a while ago.

If you ask my grandmother, she'll tell you... Well, I don't really know. No one really asked her. Except maybe her few friends who met me when they were over. She probably told them she adopted me and made up something less... harsh, than what really happened. She knows I don't want pity.

If you ask my parents... Oh, wait, never mind. You can't ask them. Forget I mentionned them.

And if you ask me, well, I'll most likely—No, scratch that. I _will_ glare at you. And ignore you. Here's an advice; don't talk to me, I'll _try_ not to be rude to you. Got it?

* * *

As I pick on my lunch—because, seriously, who in their right mind would eat cafeteria food? It's disgusting—I can feel someone staring at me. I look up, and instantly wish I hadn't as my eyes connect with brown ones. A girl I've never seen before. Two words pop in my mind.

_New kid._

I glare at her, then look back down at my lunch. I stare at it in disgust for a moment, then get up and throw it away before walking out of the cafeteria. Why stay in a place full of people who'll judge me when I can be on my own? Surely, that new girl was already talking about me with whoever she was sitting with. She'll soon enough turn against me and start judging me like everybody else. I know it.

It's only a matter of time.

* * *

**BAM! Done!**

**Don't be surprised. Like I said, it'll be short chapters. Next one should be up tomorrow. On the bright side, short chapters means more updates.**

**Until next time,**

**R5AAFan :)**


	2. Stalker-ish

**Hey, guys! Second chapter's here!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally, or anything else you may recognize in this story. Some conversations in this story were written by Storygurl16.**

**My Twitter: Mimi_R5Family**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

"Austin, is that you?" I hear my grandmother call as I shut the front door behind me.

"Yeah, I'm going downstairs." I call back.

"Do you want anything to eat?" She asks me, coming out of the kitchen.

I shake my head. "Nah, I'm good." I say and walk passed her, going down the stairs.

I try as much as possible to ignore my grandmother. She's just another person on this planet who looks at me with pity, wishing she never had met me. Better, that I was never born. I mean, she tries not to show it, but it's pretty obvious. Just look at my room! It has beige walls mostly covered with posters of various bands and singers to cover up holes and stuff like that, and inside there's only a small bed that I don't even fit in, a keyboard pushed up against my bed from lack of space, a guitar in a corner, and a closet. The room's really small and is only lit by a lamp and natural light coming from the small window.

I sigh as I walk into my room and throw myself on my bed, my feet dangling on the edge. For some reason, my thoughts drift off to the new girl. I learned this afternoon that her name is Ally Dawson, and she's seventeen, just like me. She's from New York and moved here because of her dad's job. What? Trust me, you can get yourself informed pretty well when you listen to people gossiping all day.

* * *

The next day, at lunch, I sit down at my usual table, where nobody is sitting. Obviously. I've been sitting at this table ever since I started school here in seventh grade, and no one has ever sat with me. Don't want to be caught with the freak, I'm guessing. I don't mind. Being alone is the only way. If you're alone, no one can hurt you, no one can betray you, and, more importantly; no one bothers you.

"Umm… Hi."

_Well, my peace didn't last as long as usual._

I look up from my apple—the only safe thing to eat at this school—to see the new girl standing infront of me, across the table. I glare at her and look back down at my half-eaten apple. What does _she_ want? Didn't she get the message from other students already? New kids usually get it pretty quickly and leave me alone. Apparently, this one is either thick-headed, or stupid.

I hear her sigh, then see her sit down infront of me from the corner of my eye. "Uh... I'm Ally. I'm new here. You're Austin, right?" She asks, her voice so innocent and sweet it makes me sick.

So, I get up and get out of the cafeteria, tossing my apple in the garbage along the way. If _that_ doesn't show her I don't want to be her friend, I don't know what will.

I certainely hope she got the message.

* * *

"Alright, class. Let's get started." The math teacher says and begins passing out work sheets. I start working on mine as soon as I get it. Now, I wouldn't say I'm a nerd or something like that, simply because I don't do stereotypes—which is kind of ironic considering I'm the school's freak. Anyway, yeah, I guess you could say that I'm smart. What can I say? When you have no friends or family, studies are pretty much the only thing you have left. And music. Never forget music.

Suddenly, I feel someone watching me. You know, that feeling in your gut that a pair of eyes is fixed on you? Sounds pretty stalker-ish, right? Out of the corner of my eye, I notice it's the new girl again. _Stalker-ish fits her just right._

I fight back an eye roll and attempt to concentrate on the problem the teacher gave us to work on. Although, it feels impossible to solve without knowing what the hell that girl wants from me.

"Ally and Trish, no passing notes. I'll let it go this time, but if I catch you again, your note will be read infront of the class. Understand?" The teachers says. I glance at the new girl, and Trish, a short latina girl with really curly black hair whom I know from a few of my classes, to see them both nodding. I roll my eyes. So, Trish made friends with the new girl, huh? Too bad, she's one of the few students who actually leave me alone. Now that she's friends with that Ally girl, I hope she won't try talking to me too.

* * *

"Alright, time for basketball training. Pair up and practice your passes." The teacher, Coach Karlson, announces before blowing his whistle. Right now, it's P.E. which is the last class of the day. As usual, I'm leaning against the wall, watching the others sweat like crazy and basically die of too much exercise. It doesn't sound like it, but it's actually pretty fun to watch. Coach Karlson used to try and make me participate to the class, but gave up after a few months.

"Moon, come here." I hear. I look around and find Coach Karlson waving me over. I look beside him and find the new girl standing there. _Oh, no. Why does the world hate me so much?_

I glare at Coach Karlson and he glares back. After a few seconds of some sort of glaring match between the two of us, I realize that he's not going to give up, so I end up sighing and walking over.

"Alright, Moon, I want you to pair up with Dawson." He tells me before walking away. _'Thanks, coach,' _I think sarcastically.

Ally looks at me and I just glare in response. Is this girl so desperate to talk to me that she'll ask Coach to partner me up with her?

"So... should we go, or...?" She trails off. I roll my eyes and grab a basket ball, then walk to an empty spot. "Alright, we can do that." I hear her mutter. She joins me and I prepare myself to pass her the ball. For some reason, I can see she's a bit scared right now. Of what? No idea. But if I can scare her off and get her off my back, that'd be awesome.

(...)

I honestly don't know what happened. One second I'm thinking about what I could do to scare her off, and the next, she's crying out of pain and holding her cheek. Her knees buckle and she falls to the ground. I watch her, arms crossed, as Trish runs to her side.

"Ally, are you okay? What happened?" She asks her.

"Basket ball in my face." Ally groans. That's when it hits me. _I_ threw the ball at her face. Oops. Oh well, maybe she'll leave me alone, now. I back away from the scene and lean on the nearest wall. I do feel a little guilty, but seriously! She just needed a little push back to reality. I think the basket ball did the job just fine.

A flash of realization appears on Trish's face. She looks over at me and walks over then slaps my arm. Gotta admit, the girl's got strenght. "_You_ did this to her?! What the hell is your problem?!" She shouts to my face.

"Woah, what is going on here?" Coach asks. Wow, took some time.

"That jerkface just threw a ball at Ally's face!" Trish exclaims, pointing to me.

"Ally?" He asks her, silently asking if it's true. She glances at me, then nods. He sighs. "Alright, Trish, go with Ally to the nurse. Austin, come with me."

Trish takes Ally's arm and they walk out of the gym as I follow Coach Karlson to his office.

I'm in trouble.

* * *

**BAM! Done!**

**So, I'm quite pleased with the amount of followers I got only from the first chapter, but if you guys could leave a review, I'd appreciate it. It doesn't have to be long. I don't care, I just want to know what you think. I'm not the kind to beg for reviews, but I'm just saying; reviews are kinda cool.**

**Random Question of the Day: Who read Believe Me before reading this story?**

**Until next time,**

**R5AAFan :)**


	3. In the Coach's Office

**Hey, guys! Chapter three's up!**

**So, I basically spent my day reading Divergent, then watching the movie. I just started reading Insurgent, and *fangirl squeal* I'm addicted. I had to force myself to stop reading so I could post this chapter for you guys. You're welcome ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally, or anything else you may recognize in this story.**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

"Austin!" Coach Karlson snaps at me after I ignore him for the fourth time.

"What?!" I snap back.

He seems taken aback. I guess I would be too, if I was him. It's not often that I actually talk to people.

"Care to tell me why you threw a ball at Ally's face?" He asks when he recovers from his initial shock, although his voice is awfully low—just enough to be a bit scary, even for me. "She just started yesterday. I don't see what possible reason you could have to hit her with a basket ball."

I shrug. "I don't know. She was annoying."

"And you think throwing a ball at her face was the solution?" He asks, annoyed.

"She's been trying to _talk_ to me." I say with so much distaste I almost spit out the words, like trying to get bad-tasting food out of my mouth. "She's always staring at me, and... I don't know. It freaks me out, I guess. I mean, people usually just ignore me. I'm the _freak_. I saw her and her friends glancing at me every now and then at lunch, obviously talking anout me. I _know_ she knows I'm the school's freak. So, why would she try to talk to me?"

His features soften. I mentally cringe. _No, don't give me your pity, I don't want it._

"Some people just don't believe in stereotypes, Austin. Give her a chance. She might be a potential friend."

I scoff. "Yeah, right. Like that'd happen." I say sarcastically. I'll be friends with that Ally girl when I'll stop glaring at people. Which means never.

"You have to stop seeing only the bad things in people and in life itself, Austin. If you don't, you won't have a nice life."

I roll my eyes and glare at him. "I don't need you to tell me what to do with my life. I'm doing perfectly fine on my own."

"Okay, fine. But I _am_ your teacher. And I want you to apologize to Ally."

I glare at him, crossing my arms, and shaking my head. "No way."

"I didn't give you a choice. Go change and we'll go together."

Without another word, I give him my hardest glare and storm out of his office, slamming the door shut behind me. I speed-walk to the changing rooms, ignoring all the looks from the other students.

It's official; I hate P.E.

* * *

"Ally?" Coach Karlson asks, opening the door to the nurse's office. He steps inside and walks over Stalker Girl, who's lying on the small hospital bed with her eyes closed. "How are you feeling?"

I take this as my cue to escape. There's no way I'm apologizing to her. She deserved being knocked back to reality.

"Austin!"

I stop dead in my track and curse under my breath. I've been too slow.

I turn around and see Coach Karlson standing there with his arms crossed over his chest.

"What?" I ask.

He points to the nurse's office. "Get in there." He growls. "Now."

Not feeling like starting yet another argument, I follow him inside.

Honestly, I've never seen Coach Karlson get so pissed off. It's like he's on his man periods or something. I mean, come on, it's not like I _killed_ the girl. I didn't even knock her out.

"Sorry about that, Ally. Anyway, Austin here, has something to tell you." Coach tells Ally, nudging me foward. I keep my head down and stay silent. "Austin, you better say it to her."

I glance up at her, look back at the floor, and sigh. Let's get this over with.

"Sorry." I say quickly and quietly.

Coach glares at me. "That wasn't a very good apology."

I glare at him, then look back at Ally who shakes her head. "Coach, it's fine. Austin, I forgive you." She says.

I nod and walk out, not saying another word. Although, I am kind of grateful she hasn't made me say it again.

_Wait... She forgave me? Oh, great. That means she probably won't leave me alone!_

"Lucky for both of you, she doesn't have a concussion." I hear Coach call behind me.

I shake my head and ignore him. Although, for some reason, I can't help but feel relieved. Whatever, it's probably because even though I hate everyone, I've never really physically hurt anyone, and as annoying and persistent Ally is... She never judged me. Well, not that I know of, at least.

I groan. I'm over-thinking this. But I can't help it! I hate how that Ally girl keeps popping in my mind and I can't get her out. She's just a girl. I should hate her. But for some reason, a short sentence keeps repeating itself in my mind.

_She's not just a girl._

* * *

**BAM! Done!**

**I know, I know, these chapters are short, but... eh. I can't really think of anything to add to them. It's kinda hard to do when I have to keep the conversations between two characters the exact same. But I did add that moment between the coach and Austin, which wasn't in Believe Me. Sorry, I'm talking to myself more than anything.**

**Okay, so, Austin's struggling to understand his feelings, huh? Sorry, he may seem a bit bipolar with his emotions, but it's meant to be that way.**

**Random Question of the Day: Who of you guys are regular readers of mine? (Like, who didn't just read Believe Me and this one?) And if you are, which of my stories, one-shots included, did you read?**

**Until next time,**

**R5AAFan :)**


	4. I'm So Messed-Up

**Hey, guys! New chapter, here? Who noticed the R5 reference in the title? ;)**

**Sorry I haven't updated earlier. The only reason why I didn't was because I couldn't. Very busy weekend.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally, or anything else you may recognize in this story.**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

"Hey."

I look up from my juice box (what? You take whatever's good, here) to see the new girl. Shocker (note the sarcasm). I glare at her and look back down.

I hear her sigh as she sits down infront of me. "So... how's it going?"

I roll my eyes. I'm not one for small talk. Especially not with her. It's been three days since the basketball incident, and I promised to myself to not talk to that Ally girl again. I don't need my mind to be messed with.

I get up, but just as I'm about to walk passed her, I feel a small hand grab my wrist.

She chuckles somewhat darkly. I'm telling you, this girl is creepy as hell. "Nope, not this time. Sit down." She demands with a glare. I glare back, but sensing that it's pointless, I roll my eyes and sit back down. She smiles proudly. She could write _'I'm proud of myself'_ on her forehead, and it'd be just as obvious that she is. "Good. So, to set things straight, I better tell you now that I'm not the kind of person who gives up. So don't even try to get away from me. I'll always come back." She blinks. "Wow... That sounded creepy..." She mumbles to herself. Without thinking, I chuckle at her dorkiness. She smiles, looking, again, proud of herself. My smile fades a bit as I become conscious of what I just did, but for some unknown reason, I can't drop it completely. So, I'm left with some kind of half-smile on my face. "So, I don't think we properly met." She sticks out her hand. "I'm Ally."

I stare at her hand for a second, then hesitantly shake it. "Austin."

"So, what's up?" She asks, retrieving her hand. I shrug, looking back at my juice box. Does she think us shaking hands makes us friends, or something? Because if so, I have more friends than I thought I had. "Come on, there's got to be at least one thing!"

I scrunch up my nose and shake my head, my eyes still on the juice box. It's unbelievable how much sugar there can be in one little juice box, you know. "Not really."

She stays silent. After a few seconds, I look up at her, wondering what's wrong with her. I mean, she usually just talks and talks... Yeah, it's annoying, but you get used to it, I guess.

I watch her as she looks around the cafeteria, then frowns in confusion. "So... do you know, by any chance, why everyone is staring at us?" She asks me.

I look around and notice that everyone is indeed staring at us. I shrug, looking back down. "I don't care."

"Okay, but do you know why?"

"Outcast." I say simply. That should explain everything to her. Trish is one of the 'normal kids' at school. Being Ally's new friend, she most likely told Ally that I was outcasted in second grade. It's true, actually. So, I guess people think it's weird for me to be talking with the new girl, especially since I never really talk to anyone.

I look around at everyone once again. I roll my eyes, glare at them, and get up before walking away. I get out of the cafeteria, and just as I hear the doors close behind me, I hear them open again. I can tell who it is without even looking.

"You shouldn't have followed me." I tell Ally, not bothering to look at her.

"Why not?"

"Your reputation will be ruined forever."

I glance at her just in time to see her roll her eyes. "Does it really look like I care?"

I set my eyes back to the front. "You should."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"Because I'd much rather hang out with you than care about a stupid reputation. Let them think what they think, the important thing is that I know it's not true."

I shake my head. "You're weird."

I never met someone who cared more about the outcast than their reputation, and I don't think I ever will. This girl is no different.

She shrugs. "So?"

I sigh. "Can you just leave me alone?"

"Nope."

"Why?"

"Why not?" She mocks me.

"Because you'll leave me at some point. They all do." I reply honestly. I hate how this girl, whom I barely know, can get me to talk to her like I actually trust her. I don't, so why am I even talking to her and telling her all this stuff? Sure, it's not a lot, but it's much more than anything I've ever told anyone!

"What tells you I'm not different?" She asks me. I stay silent, simply because I don't have an answer. Nothing tells me she's not different. I just think everyone is the same. There shouldn't be exceptions. She sighs. "Look, Austin. I have no idea why, but I care about you. I'm not like the rest of them, no matter who they are. Can't you just let me in? Give me a chance." She pleads.

I shake my head. "I can't do that. 'Cause in the end, whether you like it or not, you'll ditch me. I'd much rather be alone than get ditched all the time. So again, leave. me. alone. It'll be better for the both of us." I tell her before walking away, not waiting for her response.

I did the right thing. So, why do I feel like I just made a mistake?

I sigh, looking back to find her walking the opposite way, her back turned to me. Just as I'm about to turn back around, she looks back and her eyes find mine. Even though we're standing a fairly good distance away from each other, I can still see the hope in her eyes. I bite my lip, then shake my head, turning around.

So much for not having my mind messed with by the new girl.

* * *

**BAM! Done!**

**Well, well, well... Austin is fighting with his mind. We'll see how he goes through that later ;)**

**By the way, could you guys do me a favor and go check out my story on Quotev? It's called My Savior. The link's on my Twitter (Mimi_R5Family)**

**Random Question of the Day: What's your weirdest fear?**

**Until next time,**

**R5AAFan :)**


	5. Guitar Strings

**Hey, guys! New chapter here! Thanks again for all the reviews, I love them! You guys are awesome noddles ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally, or anything else you may recognize in this story. Some conversations were written by Storygurl16.**

**My Twitter: Mimi_R5Family**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

"Austin, is that you?" I hear my gandmother call from the kitchen.

I roll my eyes. "No, grandma." I call back sarcastically as I toss my backpack to the side. "I'm the mail guy. Thought it would be nice to take a walk inside your house." I scoff, taking off my shoes. "Of course it's me, who else would come in without knocking at this time of the day?" I ask the obvious. Seriously, she always asks if it's me _every single time_ I come back from school. I'm the only one besides her who lives here, and she knows I always get back around this time. Sometimes, I wonder if her old brain is still working.

"Alright, alright. No need for the sarcasm." She says, walking out of the kitchen with her hands in mock surrender, a smile on her face. I frown a bit. Why is she smiling at me like that? "Although, I have to say it's nice to hear you speak in more than two-words sentences."

I freeze in my spot. _That's_ why she's smiling. But she's right; what's happening to me?

I scoff, adding an eyeroll, trying to hide my small shock. "I don't know what you're talking about." I scowl, then go to my room, not letting her say anything else.

I grab my guitar as soon as I walk inside the small room and sit on my bed. I tune the guitar, then start strumming. Music always has been some kind of escape from the world for me. Whenever I'm feeling sad, angry, stressed out, confused, or any other negative feeling, I just play music or listen to it, and it calms me down. I don't know how to explain it. The power of music, I guess. It can make you forget about all of your problems. I honestly think I would've gone mad a long time ago if I didn't have music. Maybe I'd even be dead. Who knows?

My peaceful-ness is cut short as a string breaks. I sigh and walk over my dresser, opening the drawer that contains my spare guitar strings. I groan when I can't find the one I need. I look at the time on my watch: 5:12PM. The music store must still be opened.

I go back upstairs and grab my jacket on the way. "I'm going out!" I call.

"Alright, be back in an hour." My grandmother calls back.

"Yeah, yeah." I say and walk out, shutting the door behind me. I get in my car and quickly drive to the mall. I find without any trouble the music store, Sonic Boom. It opened a few days ago, but I've been waiting for a while for it to open, so finding it wasn't hard.

I walk in, find the guitar strings I need, then walk to the counter to pay for them. I look up and my eyes widen at who's standing infront of me.

"Hey, Austin." She greets me, smiling up at me. I force back a smile at her. What is _she_ doing here?

_'Well, obviously, she's working, you idiot,'_ my mind says, and I can almost _hear_ it roll its eyes.

_'Shut up,' _is my only response as I toss the strings on the counter. I pull out my wallet, then raise an eyebrow at the new girl.

Maybe I should stop calling her that...

"How much?" I ask her, answering her confused look.

"Oh!" She mutters, and I swear she's blushing. I bite back a smirk. Such a dork... "$3,67."

I pull out a five dollar bill from my wallet and hand it to her.

"So, uh, do you play guitar?" She asks, getting my change. Great, small talk.

"No." I say awkwardly. No one except for my grandmother and a few relatives know I play a few instruments, and I'd like to keep it that way.

She stops what she's doing and raises an eyebrow at me. "Then, why are you buying guitar strings, if you don't play the guitar?"

I blink, trying to come up with something. "They're, uh, for my… sister." I lie. What a horrible lie. I don't even have a sister!

She gives me my change. "I didn't know you had a sister. Oh, and $1,33 is your change."

I nod and stuff it into my wallet, then put it back in my pocket. She picks up the guitar strings and hands those to me as well. I take them from her. "Thanks." I mutter.

She smiles, nodding in a 'You're welcome' way. "Well, see you on Monday." She says. I nod and give her a small smile then walk out of the store.

"That girl is too nice for her own health." I mutter to myself, watching her genuinely smile at some client as she discusses with them as if they were old friends. I smile a bit, then shake my head and walk away.

If that Ally girl could stop messing with my head, that'd be nice.

* * *

**BAM! Done!**

**There's another short chapter for you! I was going to update earlier, but I ended up talking to my step-sister on facetime for like three hours and there was an Austin & Ally marathon on TV (Family Channel; canadian channel :P) It's still going on but my grandmother wanted the TV to watch her boring soap operas, so I recorded the episodes that'd be playing during that time and that gave me the chance to update! Sorry, you didn't need to know that... :P**

**Random Question of the Day: Who watched the Teen Choice Awards? I screamed and fangirled really hard when Ansel Elgort and The Fault in Our Stars won in their categories :P And Ross! He won one too! So proud :)**

**Until next time,**

**R5AAFan :)**


	6. Group Project

**Hey, guys! Sorry, I know it's been a while since the last update, but I just haven't gotten any time to update, lately. My current addiction to the Divergent series might be a part of the 'no time' problem...**

**I want to give a shout out to Nicole (guest) for saying I should win an award for best Austin & Ally fanfic of the year. You should win one for best review of the year! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally, or anything else you may recognize in this story.**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

"Alright, class! For the next week, we're going to do a project." The music teacher, Mr. Johnson, announces. As usual, I'm sitting in the corner at the back of the room, near the piano.

"Is it in groups?" Cassidy, one of the populars, asks. She's the queen bitch in this school.

"It'll be in groups of two." I mentally groan. I hate group projects. Don't get me wrong, music is my favorite class, but group stuff? Not my thing. "And before anyone asks, I'm the one pairing you up." The class groans, but I perk up, a tiny piece of hope rising in me. Mr. Johnson knows about my... situation. He knows I don't like to talk to people, and he's pretty cool, so I pray for him to team me up with someone who won't judge me or anything. "For next monday," Mr. Johnson continues. "You'll have to pick a song and perform it infront of the whole class. You guys need to practice a lot and make it perfect. Alright, let's get teamed up. Cassidy and Dallas, Elliot and Ethan, Brooke and Kira, Trish and Dez, Austin and Ally..."

I stop listening. My ears ring as I cuss under my breath in annoyance. Out of all the people, it had to be _her_?

My eyes scan the room and find Ally picking up her stuff and coming to sit next to me.

"Hey." She greets me, the smile so evident in her voice I don't even have to look at her to know she's wearing one on her face.

"Hi." I greet her back in a monotone voice, keeping my eyes anywhere but on her, hoping she'll get the message that I'm not happy to be working with her.

"So, do you have a song in mind?" She asks me, her voice still full of joy. Well, obviously, she's not good at getting messages.

I shrug. "Not really. Do you?"

"Hmm... Barbie Girl?" She jokes. Well, I hope that was a joke. I look over at her to see a teasing look on her face—an eyebrow raised and a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

I shake my head, trying to fight back a smile threatening to appear on my lips. "No way."

"Can you rap?" She asks, the teasing look disappearing from her face, almost like it was never there in the first place.

"Hmm... I could try." I shrug. I never really tried rapping. Singing is more my thing. It comes naturally. Rapping? Not so much. "Why?"

"Why not Stereo Heart?" She suggests.

I hesitate. "I don't know. We could try. You'd sing and I'd rap?"

"You can have some of the singing parts too." She promises, sounding kind of relieved. "I'm not too founded in singing infront of an audience."

I raise an eyebrow. "How come?"

She shrugs. "I used to sing on a stage every chance I got. I stopped a while ago and I guess I lost the feelings of confidence I had on stage by doing so."

I frown. "That's too bad."

She waves it off with her hand. "Nah, I got over it."

"Well, you'll still sing with me." I say, then a thought occurs to me. "Wait... are you good?"

She shrugs not so confidently. "I guess. Are you?"

"Never really performed infront of anybody." I admit, then scold myself in my mind. There I go, admitting another personnal thing to her. What's wrong with me?

"But do you sing?" She asks me, not seeming bothered by my confession.

"In the shower." I lie. Well, technically, it's not a complete lie. I _do_ sing in the shower. It's just that I don't _only_ sing in the shower.

She rolls her eyes. "Do you sing anywhere _other_ than the shower?"

"My room when my gr-... parents aren't listening." I bite my lip, hoping she hasn't noticed my mistake. If there's one thing I don't want her to find out, it's that I'm an orphan. Nobody can find out.

"Why? They don't know you sing or something like that?" She asks. I sigh in relief. If she noticed I was about to say 'grandmother', she hasn't said anything. And for that, I'm grateful.

"Something like that." I shrug, trying to appear casual.

"Does your sister know?" She asks.

I frown in confusion. "My sister?" I repeat. Suddenly, last night comes back in my mind, when I told her I was buying the guitar strings, for my 'sister'. "Oh! Umm... Yeah. But I don't play infront of her."

She gives me an unbelieving look. "Austin, you can stop lying. I know the guitar strings weren't for your sister. In fact, I'm pretty sure you don't have a sister."

My shoulders slump. Another thing she now knows about me. "How do you know?"

She rolls her eyes. "You're a really bad liar, you know?"

I nod and look away. I hear her sigh, but pretend that she's not there. It's the easiest way. If I don't talk to her, she can't figure out more stuff about me. It's a perfect plan!

... I think.

* * *

**BAM! Done!**

**So... Austin's confused. As usual. Don't worry, I swear it'll get better soon.**

**... I hope :P**

**Random Question of the Day: What's your favorite song, at the moment?**

**Until next time,**

**R5AAFan :)**


	7. Opening Up?

**Hello, there!**

**Guys, I'm going back to school on Tuesday. NOOOOOOOO! :( So, warning you in advance, I may not be able to update as often, especially since I'll be moving in a month so I spend most of my time packing stuff. I'll try to update at least once or twice a week. Once a week will be for sure unless something happens or whatever, but... Yeah. Just a warning.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally, or anything else you may recognize in this story. Some of the conversations used were written by Storygurl16.**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

"Oh, hi, Ally!"

I stop abruptly as I hear the the annoying voice of the queen bitch herself; Cassidy. What does _she_ want from Ally?

Not that I care or anything...

"What do you want?" I hear Ally asks her as I hide behind the opened gym doors, close enough to hear their conversation.

"Hey, no need to get sassy. I just wanna talk." Cassidy says with fake innocence.

"And, what would you like to talk about?" Ally asks with the same sweetness in her voice. The tone she uses tells me she knows that Cassidy isn't the nicest girl. Oh, who am I kidding? _Everyone_ knows she's a manipulative little brat.

"Weeeellll… it involves the freak you've been hanging out with." She says. I try looking out the window to see her smile getting more… evil than usual, if that's even possible.

I stiffen at her words. That freak is obviously me. What is she going to tell Ally?

"Freak? What freak?" Ally asks, sounding clueless. I bite my lower lip to supress a smile. Maybe she really doesn't consider me as a freak. Unless she's just acting clueless, but she knows exactly who Cassidy is talking about. Yeah, that's more likely.

Cassidy rolls her eyes. "Austin, duh! Who else would we be talking about?"

_We?_ I lean a bit more into the window to see Kira, Cassidy's 'friend', standing next to her. _Oh._

"Listen here, Cassidy!" Ally snaps, and my eyes widen. What is she doing? "I don't know who you think you are, but Austin is _not_ a freak. He just doesn't like to talk to people! You know, you should really spend time getting to know people before you jump to conclusions."

My jaw drops. Is that what she thinks? If so... No, it can't be.

I bite down the inside of my cheek, staring at Ally's angry face. Maybe there _are_ still a few nice people in this world...

Kira scoffs, stepping in front of Cassidy. "You listen here, slut! You don't talk to Cassidy like that. She's, like, really popular. And, like, you're not supposed to, like, talk to her that way. So, like, stop!"

I roll my eyes. Ally? A slut? Yeah, when pigs will fly! And seriously? There's a limit of 'like' you can say in one sentence.

Ally bursts out laughing, earning confused looks from both of them. And from me too, honestly. "Wow, you're calling _me_ a slut? Like, the nerve!" She mimics Kira, making me chuckle. "You're the one that's a slut, considering you've probably slept with, like, almost every guy at this, like, school!" Kira's jaw drops, while Cassidy just has an angry look on her face. Ally smiles, crossing her arms. "Now, I suggest you two to, like, leave Austin alone, or things are not gonna be pretty. Oh, and Kira, sweetie, like, close your mouth. You're gonna catch flies." With that, she turns around and walks out of the gym, a proud smile on her face.

As I get out from my hiding spot, I bump into someone, causing the person to fall on the floor with a loud thud. I look down to see Ally.

"Oh, um… Hi." She greets me somewhat sheepishly, getting up off the floor. "Did you hear all of that?"

I nod. She looks down, and I can see a hint of blush on her cheeks.

"Thanks." I tell her.

She looks up, a confused look on her face. "For what?"

"For defending me. You're the first person that's ever done that." I admit quietly, rubbing the back of my neck uncomfortably.

"Really?" She asks, raising an eyebrow in what seems to be surprise. _What? Isn't it obvious that she's the first person to talk to me like I'm a normal guy since... forever?_

"Yeah. So…thanks." I say before walking away, leaving her standing there.

* * *

"Grandma, before you ask, yes, it's me." I call stepping inside the house.

I hear my grandmother laugh from the livingroom. Frowning, I walk over there to see her sitting on the couch, watching TV.

"What's so funny?" I ask her.

"You." She says simply, a grin on her old face. What? I'm not being rude if I'm just thinking it.

Wait... Since when do I care if I'm rude?

"Me?" I look at her like she's grown a second head. "I'm not funny."

"Well, I think you are." She says, muting the TV.

I roll my eyes, plopping down on the other end of the couch. "Yeah, whatever."

She turns to me and smiles. "So, I've been wondering... How are things going at school?"

I shrug. "Okay, I guess." What's with the sudden interrest in my life? She never seemed to care, before.

"Have you met anyone new? A friend, perhaps?"

My mind immediately goes to Ally. She's the only person I met in a while, but a friend? Not really. Or is she? I don't think so.

I narrow my eyes at her. "Yeah, I guess you could call her a friend." I say slowly.

"A girl?" She perks up.

I roll my eyes. "No. Not like that."

"Then how is it?"

"She's just an annoying new girl who's trying to get me to open up or whatever."

She smiles, getting up. "Want to know a secret, Austin?"

I cross my arms. "What?"

Her smile turns... mysterious? "I think she's doing a pretty good job." She says before walking out of the living room.

I stay frozen, dumbfounded. Has Ally caused me to open up to some people without me even knowing it?

"I'm going out." I call then quickly walk out of the house.

"Austin?" I hear behind me, about five minutes later.

I turn around to see Trish walking on the same sidewalk as me. "Trish?"

A look of suprise appears on her face. "You know my name?"

"Umm... Yeah. When nobody talks to you, you observe people a bit more." I explain.

"Oh." She nods as she catches up to me. "I didn't know you lived around here."

I shrug, not knowing what to say. I'm not used to having conversations. Why is she talking to me, anyway? I bet she thought that if Ally could get me to talk, she could too.

Huh. Maybe Ally _is_ getting me to open up.

Stupid new girl.

"So... what are you doing, walking alone?" Trish breaks me out of my thoughts, and only now do I realize there was an awkward silence.

"Do you know where Ally's house is?" I ask her, realizing I have no idea where the hell I'm going.

She gives me Ally's adress, then raises an eyebrow at me. "Why'd you want to know that?"

"Umm..." Why am I going at Ally's house? "Music project. She's my partner." I end up saying.

"Oh. Right. Ally told me about that."

"You guys talk about me?" I hear myself ask. Why does it matter?

She scoffs. "Are you kidding? You're all she can talk about."

I press my lips tight together to fight back a stupid smile threatening to appear on my face. Why does the fact that Ally talks about me a lot makes me... happy?

_'Because she's all you can think about, and you're happy she thinks about you too,'_ My mind tells me.

I roll my eyes. No, I... Ally's not all I can think about. I can't let the new girl messing up my mind.

"Austin? Are you there?" Trish snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Huh?"

"Ally's house is right over there." She points to a small house.

I frown. This street seems familiar...

I look around, the mentally slap my forehead. Ally lives on my street? So, I've been basically walking around for nothing.

"Oh, umm... Thanks."

"No problem." She pats my shoulder. "See you around."

I nod, then she walks away. I turn to Ally's house, and my heart beats faster. Am I nervous? No, why would I be nervous. It's just the annoying new girl.

I shake my head to myself and make my way to the front door. My grandmother's been putting thoughts into my head. Ally isn't changing me. She has nothing to do with me... suddenly talking to people. Nope. Not at all.

"Austin? What are you doing here?"

My head snaps to the door to see Ally standing there, looking confused. I don't even remember ringing the doorbell.

"Hey." I say quietly. "Can I come in?"

"Um… sure." She nods, moving out of the way to let me in. I walk in the house, looking around. "Alright, um… not to be rude or anything, but… how in the heck do you know where I live?"

"Trish." I state.

She nods, not looking surprised at all by my simple explanation. "Well, what's going on? What are you doing here?"

I sigh, sitting on the couch in the living room. She sits down next to me, looking at me with concern.

"Um… I, uh, was wondering what we were gonna do with the song for music class." I say, looking at the floor. That was a bit of a lie. What? I can't just tell her that I wanted to see her. She'd make a huge deal out of it, and we all know I can't let that happen.

"Oh. Well, what were you thinking?" She asks.

"I don't know. I was kinda hoping you'd have an idea." I admit, smiling a bit.

I hear her giggle softly. "Well, okay. You're in luck. I do have an idea."

"What is it?" I ask, looking up at her.

"Instead of performing 'Stereo Heart', I think we should write a song to perform." She says.

I frown. "Write a song? Why?"

She sighs. "I'll let you in on a little secret, okay?"

"Okay."

"Alright, so, believe it or not, I write songs."

Surprise takes over me. This girl writes songs? "Really?"

"Yeah." She smiles, looking a bit embarrassed. Or is she shy? Why would she be shy about writing songs? That's awesome!

I smile back. "That's really cool."

She smiles, blushing slightly. Damn... this girl sure blushes a lot. "Thanks. Well, let's go work on the song. Come on."

She leads me downstairs to the basement, where we stop in a room full of instruments. A music room.

She turns to face me, and brings her arms out from her sides, gesturing to the room. "Well, here it is." She says, slapping her arms back to her sides.

I look around. This room is like paradise on Earth!

"This is pretty cool." I say, spinning around to get one last look at the place.

"Thanks. Now, we should probably get started." She says.

I nod, taking a step toward Ally. "So, what instrument are we gonna use for this song?"

"I was thinking piano, but I also like the guitar." She tells me.

"I like the piano. Let's use that." I say, gesturing to the black baby grand piano behind her.

* * *

"I really think this is gonna work, Austin!" Ally exclaim with an excited smile, turning to look at me.

"Me, too." I say honestly, nodding. Turns out Ally's an incredible songwriter, so the song turned out pretty good.

"Okay, I think we should practice it one more time today before we call it quits." She tells me, laying her hands back onto the ivory keys of the baby grand. I nod, copying her actions. "Wait. I have a question for you."

"Yeah?" I ask, motioning for her to go on.

She takes her hands off the keys and turns to me, straddling the piano bench. Again, I copy her actions. "Well, it's more of a story and a question. Anyways, so a few days ago, Trish told me that she overheard Cassidy and Kira talking about you." I roll my eyes at this. Of course they would. "Let me continue. Anyway, so she told me that they said that you sing and are really into music, but it stopped at the same time you stopped talking to people. Well, at first I didn't believe it was true. But then, when you-"

"Is there a point to this?" I interrupt her, crossing my arms over my chest. My personal life isn't something I really enjoy talking about.

"Shush, and let me finish!" She exclaims, before continuing. I roll my eyes, but let her speak anyway. "Aaaannnyway, so when I saw you at Sonic Boom the other day, I started to believe that maybe what Trish told me was true. Well, except for the stopping when you stopped talking thing. I started to believe that maybe, just maybe, you still secretly liked music. And, then there's today. I've already heard you sing, Austin, and you are amazing with a capital 'A'! And, you can play the piano! So, here's my question. Why did you lie about all that stuff?"

I sigh, uncrossing my arms, and looking at the floor. "I really don't wanna talk about it. Can we just practice the song now?"

She sighs, looking disappointed. "Um…sure."

I bite my lip. Why do I feel guilty? Why did this girl have to swoop into my life and start messing up my mind and making me feel things I usually don't feel? I don't like the power she has over me at all. Worst thing is; I think she doesn't even know what she does to me.

We both put our hands back on the keys, and we start playing the intro to our newly written song. I have a frown on my face, and as I take a glimpse at her,  
I realize that so does she. She starts to sing on her cue.

(Ally) The lights go out and I can't be saved  
Tides that I tried to swim against  
Have brought me down upon my knees  
Oh I beg, I beg and plead singing

(Ally) Come out of things unsaid  
Shoot an apple off my head  
And a trouble that can't be named  
A tiger's waiting to be tamed singing

(Ally) You are  
You are

(Austin) Confusion never stops  
Closing walls and ticking clocks  
Gonna come back and take you home  
I could not stop that you now know singing

(Austin) Come out upon my seas  
Cursed missed opportunities  
Am I a part of the cure?  
Or am I part of the disease? Singing

(Austin) You are  
You are

(Both) You are  
You are

(Both) And nothing else compares  
And nothing else compares  
And nothing else compares

(Both) You are  
You are

(Ally) Home, home where I wanted to go

(Austin) Home, home where I wanted to go

(Both) Home, home where I wanted to go  
Home, home where I wanted to go

We finish the song with the outro. After the last chord is played, Ally turns to me. I look up to see a small smile back on her face.

"That was good." She says.

"Cool. Well, I gotta go. See ya." I say, getting up from the piano bench and heading up the stairs, not waiting for her.

I don't like these new feelings.

* * *

**BAM! Done!**

**So... I'm going to sleep now! I'm so friggin' tired :/**

**Until next time,**

**R5AAFan**


	8. The Believer And Me

**Hey, guys! Time for a new chapter!**

**I honestly don't know what happened. This chapter has been ready to be posted for three days. I usually post my chapters as soon as they're done and edited. I just saw it in my documents. I don't even remember having edited/worked on a chapter Saturday. I'm really confused, right now.**

**Anyway, I'm going back to school. 9th grade, here I come. Wish me good luck ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally, or anything else you may recognize in this story.**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

"Mr. Moon, could I speak with you for a moment?" Mrs. North, the math teacher, asks as I'm about to walk out for lunch with the rest of the students.

I turn around and shrug. "Sure, whatever." I walk up to her, my eyes catching Ally's for a second. She sends me a questioning look, and I just shrug in response. She nods and walks out of the class.

"Sit." Mrs. North gestures me to the chair infront of her desk that she placed there before class ended. I sigh and take a seat. "Do you know what I want to talk to you about?"

"Nope."

She nods and takes out a sheet that she puts infront of me on her desk. "This is your last test." She tells me.

I take it and my eyes grow wide at the sight of my score; 64%. This can't be possible! I usually have scores not lower than 80%!

"What?! This... this can't be right!" I exclaim, my eyes shifting back and forth between Mrs. North and my score.

"That's what I told myself. But I went over your test three times, and the result was still the same."

"How?" I whisper to myself.

"Is something going on in your life? Enough to distract you from your studies?" She asks. My thoughts immediately drift to Ally. She can't be distracting me from school, can she? I mean, I _do_ think about her a lot to try and figure out why she wants to be my friend so badly, but enough to get me a 64? No. No way.

I shrug. "I don't know... I don't think so."

She purses her lips and nods. "Well, I have a proposition for you. Would you be ready to retake the test?"

"Right now?" I ask. She nods. "Umm... Sure."

I studied for this test like crazy. I still remember everything. That's why it's so hard to believe I almost failed.

She smiles. "Great."

* * *

"Austin?" I hear my grandmother ask along with a knock on my door.

I look up from my guitar. "What?"

She opens the door, but stays where she is. "You have a friend here to see you."

I frown. "A friend?"

"Yes. She told me her name... Something like... Amy?"

"Amy? You mean Ally?" I ask her. What is Ally doing here?

Her face lights up. "Yes! She's waiting upstairs."

I nod and she takes it as her cue to leave. I lean my guitar against the wall and go upstairs, only to find Ally looking at pictures of me and my grandparents.

"Don't look at that." I say. She looks at me, looking startled.

"Austin... Hi. Sorry, I didn't think it was private. I mean, it _is_ on the wall." She points out.

"It's not private. I just... nevermind." I shake my head. What am I supposed to tell her? 'It's just that I don't want you to know I'm an orphan, and those pictures make it pretty obvious,'? She already met my grandmother anyway. Unless I tell her my grandma's just visiting...

"No, tell me." Her voice breaks me out of my thoughts.

"It's nothing, really."

She sighs. "Alright."

We stay silent for a bit, until I decide to ask her the question that has been on my mind for the past few minutes. "So, what are you doing here?"

"I, uh... Came to practice the song with you."

"We already practiced it a million times. We know it perfectly well." I point out.

"One more time won't hurt, will it?"

I sigh, rolling my eyes. "Fine. One time."

She smiles. "Great! Where do we practice?"

"My room. Follow me." I say before walking away, leading the way to my room. When we reach it, I watch her expression as she scans my room with her eyes.

"You seriously sleep in here?" She asks me, looking shocked.

I nod. "Yup."

"B-But... how comes everything's so neath and everything everywhere else in the house, and your room is so..." She trails off, looking guilty, like she said something she shouldn't have. Is she afraid that hurt my feelings, or something?

"You can say it. Trash-like."

She cringes. "I wouldn't say it that way, but... Yeah."

I shrug. "Let's just say that me moving here wasn't... expected."

She frowns. "What are you talking about?" She sighs, shaking her head, then looks up at me. "Look, Austin. I won't lie to you. I'm lost. I want to help you, become your friend, but how can I do that if you never tell me anything? I won't leave you, if that's what you're fearing. I'm here to stay. I promise."

I shake my head and sit down at my keyboard. "They all say that." I say, and it's true. Every single person I've ever trusted said they wouldn't leave. And they did. That's why I don't trust anyone anymore.

"Who?! Who says that? Who hurt you? I need to know, Austin. All I want to do is help you." Ally tells me, her voice rising, her eyes so honest it almost scares me.

"I know." I sigh. It's like my present and my past are fighting with each other, right now. It's like I know deep down that I can trust her, but my heart keeps shouting helplessly that it can't take another heartbreak.

"Then, tell me." She says, her voice begging, and that's when I crack.

"My mom died when I was six." I begin, staring ahead to avoid her eyes. She sits down next to me. This is it. There's no backing out, now. "My dad... I guess he never actually cared about me. He put me in an orphanage about two days after her funeral. I stayed there for two years, but they still let me go to school."

"When your mom died... is that when you outcasted yourself?" She asks softly.

"No. But not very long after. I outcasted myself because my dad didn't care about me, my mom died, and my only friend had left and never once replied to any message I send him. I was alone. No one loved me. No one ever did. And no one ever will."

"How do you know?"

"Because I don't believe in love. I never will. Because it doesn't exist." I say and when I finally look at her, my eyes catching hers, I feel like I'm lying. But my past keeps appearing in my mind, and that's how I know I'm telling the truth.

"Austin, love _does_ exist. You just need to find the right people to express that feeling toward you. Who's that lady upstairs? Your grandma? She took you in, didn't she?"

"She took me in because she had to. She had pity in me. No one wanted me, so she took me in. That's why this room is such a piece of trash. Because as soon as I'm eighteen, she'll tell me to find an appartment and move out. I know it."

She sighs and I break eye contact. Now that she knows how messed up my life is, she'll leave me for sure. "Austin, someone will love you, someday. Somewhere out there, someone loves you for who you are. And do you know who that person is?" I shrug, simply because I don't know who could ever love someone like me. "Me."

I turn my head and look at her. "You?"

"Yes. Is it that hard to believe? If I didn't care about you, I would've gave up on you a long time ago."

I shrug. She does make a good point. "I guess. But that doesn't mean love exists."

"Then I'll have to prove to you that it does."

"And how are you going to do that?" I challenge.

"Just let me in and I'll prove you wrong."

* * *

**BAM! Done!**

**Random Question of the Day: What's the electronic device you're reading this on? (Computer, laptop, iPad, etc.)**

**Until next time,**

**R5AAFan :)**


	9. Pool-Cleaning Time!

**Hey, guys! *Sigh* First week of 9th grade; done!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally, or anything else you may recognize in this story. Some of the conversations were written by Storygurl16.**

**My Twitter: Mimi_R5Family**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

_RIIIINNNGG...RIIIINNNGG...RIIIINNNGG...RII-_

"Hello?"

"Jeez! How long does it take you to answer a phone?" A familiar voice asks.

"Well, sooorry! I was in the shower." I roll my eyes.

There's a pause.

"Oh."

I huff. "Well, what do you want?" I ask Ally, making my way back to the bathroom.

"Be rude, why don't ya?"

I smirk, even though she can't see me. "My pleasure."

"Shut up, Austin. Anyway, I'm calling because I was wondering if you wanted to come over and hang out or something."

I stop in my track, eyebrow raised. "And do what?"

"Um...well, you could help me clean out my pool..." She says slowly and awkwardly.

I chuckle, continuing my walk to the bathroom. "And why would I do that?"

"Because we're friends, and that's what friends do for each other. They help each other out."

I almost drop my towel. "We're friends?"

"Yeah, of course. Why?"

"I don't know. It's just...been a while." I sigh, staring at myself in the mirror. How could a girl as nice as Ally want to be friends with me? I'm rude, and she knows about my awful past. Yet, she sticks with me. I can't even remember the last person who cared about me that much... If there was ever one.

"What do you mean?" She asks.

I sigh again. "I'll be over in five." I tell her, not wanting the push the subject further.

"O-Okay."

I hang up and purse my lips together.

This should be interresting.

* * *

I stand on Ally's front porch, staring at the door. Is this a good idea? Maybe I should just leave and call her and tell her I don't feel well.

_Oh, don't be such a pussy! She's your first friend since... _him._ Don't blow it off!_

Before I can stop myself, I press the doorbell. A few seconds later, the door opens, revealing Ally. Unlike her usual dresses or skirts, she's currently wearing jeans and a plain black t-shirt. I don't question it. We _are_ cleaning her pool, after all.

I quickly bow down my head, hoping she didn't notice me staring.

"Hi." I mutter.

"Hey." She greets me back, moving aside to let me in. I step inside, and go to her living room. She follows me. "So, are you ready?" She breaks the awkward silence.

"Ready for what?" I ask, cocking my head to the side, hoping she'll tell me the whole cleaning her pool thing was just a joke or something. Chores aren't really my thing.

She giggles and I roll my eyes, following her to... a closet? She takes out two pool cleaning filter thingy and hands me one. I shoot her a confused look and now it's her turn to roll her eyes.

"We're cleaning the pool, silly!" She smiles and ruffles my hair before walking towards the back door of the house.

I groan, following her outside. "But, I don't wanna!"

"Don't be whiny, Austin!" She shouts over her shoulder. Damn, this girl walks fast.

"I am not being whiny!" I exclaim, catching up to her.

She rolls her eyes as she turns around, jumping as her face nearly comes in contact with my chest. Yeah, she's that short.

"Did I scare you?" I chuckle as she takes a step back from me.

"A little. But, that's besides the point. What do I have to do to make you help me clean the pool?" She asks, putting her hands on her hips. I narrow my eyes a bit and rubs my chin, pretending to think. She rolls her eyes yet again, and walks away. Before she gets too far, I grab her wrist. A tingly feeling shoots through my arm, and somehow she seems to feel it too as she shivers. I spin her around, so that she's facing me again.

"I got it!" I tell her, letting go of her wrist. The feeling instantly disappears. What the hell what that?!

"What?" She asks, raising an eyebrow.

I grin. "Make me pancakes."

"Pancakes?"

"Pancakes." I confirm, licking my lips. Just saying the word makes my mouth water.

"But, why?" She asks, crossing her arms.

"Because pancakes are the most delicious food ever!" I exclaims, flailing my arms around for emphasis. Doesn't she know that? Pancakes are awesome!

"I don't know, Austin. I really don't wanna make a mess in the kitchen. Do you know how mad my dad would be?"

"Please?" I ask, giving her the puppy dog face. Her face crunches up cutely, like she's trying to resist. "Please, Ally?" I ask again, hoping to get her to crack. I really want pancakes. Plus, she _is_ making me help her clean her pool.

She sighs dramatically, slapping her arms back to her sides. "Fine."

I smile widely and the next thing I know, I'm hugging her tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I exclaim, hugging her even tighter. Damn, this girl is small...

"Can't...breathe..." She chokes out.

I quickly let go, smiling sheepishly at her. "Sorry."

"It's okay. Now, if I'm not mistaken, we have a pool to clean." She says, grabbing her pool cleaner thingy, and walking out the back door to the backyard. I manage to follow closely behind her. She takes off the cover to the pool, getting us a good look on the bug and leaf littered water.

"Ew." I mumble, staring in disgust at the green/brown water.

"Yeah, 'ew' is right." She agrees, also staring at the disgusting water. "Well, come on. It ain't gonna clean itself."

"I wish it would." I mumble, following her to the side of the pool.

Oh, the things I would do for pancakes...

* * *

About half an hour in, we're only about halfway done.

"This. Is. So. Boring!" I whine, setting the pool cleaner thing on the ground. Yes, I just whined, everyone. Deal with it.

She sighs loudly. "Will you please stop whining? You've been complaining since we started."

"Because it's boring!" I exclaim. Isn't it obvious?

"Austin, it's really not that bad." She says. Is she kidding?! This is the worst thing ever! I'd rather be having a three-hours-long conversation with my grandma, right now! And that's saying something.

"Yes it is!" I pout, crossing my arms.

"You're acting like a child!" She tells me, setting down her cleaning thingy.

"I am not!"

She sighs for what seems like the hundredth time today. "Fine. We can take a quick break."

"Yes!" I shout, pumping my fist in the air. What? You'd do exactly the same if you were in my situation, right now.

She giggles. "Well, let's go inside for a bit. I believe we have some pancake business to take care of."

I laugh at her choice of words. "Pancake business?"

"Whatever." She rolls her eyes, shaking her head. She gets up and I follow her inside. Once we get to the kitchen, she turns toward me, a serious look on her face. "Okay, mister. I have a few rules you have to follow."

I groan. "Seriously?"

"Seriously." She confirms with a nod. "Rule number one. No making messes. Rule two. If you do make a mess, then you must clean it up. Rule three-"

"Come on, Ally. You have got to be kidding me!" I cut her off. Seriously, who sets rules for making pancakes? Well, I now have an answer to that question: Ally Dawson. That's who.

"I am most certainly not kidding!" She exclaims.

I cross my arms as an idea strikes me. "Don't make me do it, Ally."

"Do what?" She asks, looking completely confused.

"The face." I state.

Her eyes widen and then narrow. "You wouldn't dare."

"Try me." I say, then do the puppy dog face, something I haven't done in years, but managed to do two times today.

"Oh, god..." She mutters, looking at the floor.

"Come on. You know you can't resist it." I taunt.

She closes her eyes stubbornly.

"Fine. If that won't work...I have another plan." I say mischievously.

She opens her eyes as I slowly approach her.

"So, uh, Ally. Are you ticklish?" I ask casually, still walking toward her. Each step I take toward her, she takes a step back.

"N-no. Why w-would you t-think that?" She stutters, and I know she's lying. Just as she finishes her sentence, her back hits the wall behind her. Her expression turns slightly panicked and I smirk.

"Are you sure about that? You don't seem so sure." I say, now right in front of her.

"I'm p-positive." She says, avoiding my eyes.

"Well, I might just have to test it... just to make sure." I wiggle my eyebrows at her.

"Austin-" She starts, but cuts herself off as I start tickling her. She bursts out laughing. "A-Austin! S-stop it!"

I smile widely. "Never!"

Suddenly, she loses her balance, and collapses onto the floor. I keep tickling her. She reaches down and tries to get my hands off her sides, but it's no use. I'm stronger than her. Although, it's really not that hard to be stronger than Ally. A five-year-old could beat her in a fight.

"P-please! I'm b-begging you!"

"I'll stop. Under one condition." I say. "You have to say, 'Austin Moon is the most awesomest and hottest guy in the whole entire universe!'"

"No!" She shouts, still giggling loudly.

"Say it!" I exclaim, tickling her even harder.

She tries to squirm out of my grasp, but fails miserably. Ha! "I w-will not s-say it!"

I smirk again. "Well, I guess I can't stop then, can I?"

"Fine! I'll s-say it!" She exclaims, gasping for air.

"Okay. Go ahead." I say, keeping my hands on her sides to makes sure she doesn't try to escape.

"Austin Moon is the most awesomest and hottest guy in the whole entire universe!" She shouts quickly, then gasps for air.

I get off of her. "There. Now, was that so hard?"

"It was excruciating." She says seriously, but a glint in her eyes lets me know she's kidding. I laugh, which makes her laugh as well. After the laughing dies down, we just stare at each other. The tingly feeling I felt in my arm earlier suddenly comes back, but this time in my stomach.

Suddenly, a thought hits me: What the hell am I doing? This is the girl I found so annoying just a few days ago. It's barely been three weeks since I even met her. Not even two weeks ago, I was glaring at her while she tried to get me to tell her all about me and my life. What happened?

I shake my head quickly, and look away from her, making the weird feeling disappear from my stomach. I get up from the floor, and offer her a hand to help her up. She takes it and I swiftly get her up.

"Uh... I gotta go." I tell her, rubbing the back of my neck nervously. I turn around and head for the front door. Before I can reach it, a small hand closes around my wrist in a firm grip, making me spin around.

"But, what about the pancakes?" Ally asks me. I look at the floor, trying to avoid her eyes. This girl is like a witch. She's the only one who has ever been able to get me to open up since what I like the call 'the second grade disaster'. If I avoid her, maybe I can just forget these past few weeks ever happened and I can go back to being alone, away from anything that could cause my heart to break once again. Because, let's face it; my heart won't be able to take another heartbreak.

"Rain check?" I mumble, keeping my eyes on the floor.

I hear her sigh. "Okay."

With that, I nod and walk out the front door, not saying another word, with only one thought on my mind.

I have to get as far as I can from this girl.

* * *

**BAM! Done!**

**So, as you can see, now that I started school again, my updates will be less frequent. Although I am trying to write as much as I can during the weekends so that when I have a little bit of time, I can just post a new chapter. I'm doing the best I can, guys.**

**Random Question of the Day: Do you have any siblings? If so, how many? (I have an older brother, two younger step-sisters, and a younger step-brother.)**

**Until next time,**

**R5AAFan :)**


	10. At the Park

**Hey, guys! I finally have the time to update!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally, or anything else you may recognize in this story.**

**My Twitter: Mimi_R5Family**

**If you like this story, you may also like my story on Quotev called My Savior. Check it out (if you want to, of course)! I can't put links on here, but it's on my Twitter.**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

_From: Ally  
Where are you?_

I blink. Once, then twice, then read the text again.

Today, I decided to avoid Ally as much as I could. Why, you ask? Simple: Ally is changing the way I think and see things. And yesterday was the last straw. I mean, touching her made my body _tingle_! Who the hell has that kind of power?! It's freaky, man, I'm telling you.

_To: Ally  
Somewhere... Nowhere_

_From: Ally  
Wow, thanks Austin, that's really helping_

I can almost _hear_ her rolling her eyes as I read her reply, making me roll mine.

_To: Ally  
Why do you want to know where I am?_

_From: Ally  
To go talk to you. Are you avoiding me?_

_To: Ally  
Why would I avoid you?_

I'm playing dumb. Of course I'm playing dumb. _'Yes, I am indeed avoiding you because I think you are a witch with superpowers.'_ Yeah. Awesome response (if you're being sarcastic and you know it, clap your hands *clap, clap*).

_From: Ally  
I don't know! You rushed out of my house Sunday, and you didn't talk to me at all today_

_To: Ally  
Sorry... I just had a lot on my mind_

I'm lying again. But not for the same reason. I don't know how, but what she just said almost makes me feel... guilty? Is this what guilt feels like?

_From: Ally  
I'll forgive you... If you tell me where you are_

I bite down my lower lip. Do I even _want_ her to forgive me?

The answer comes to my head without having to even think about it.

Yes. Yes, I do.

_To: Ally  
I have no idea why your forgiveness is so important to me_

_From: Ally  
Because I'm your friend. And whether you like it or not, you love me ;)_

She's playing with me now, isn't she?

_To: Ally  
Ally..._

_From: Ally  
Chill, I'm kidding! Now, tell me where you are_

I sigh. This girl is making my guard weaken, and I don't like it. Not one bit.

_To: Ally  
Fine, I'm at the park_

_From: Ally  
Stay where you are, I'm coming_

I roll my eyes, but text her back anyway.

_To: Ally  
Yes, Master_

I send, then something comes to my mind: Does she know I was being sarcastic?

_To: Ally  
That was sarcasm, by the way_

We're never too safe.

_From: Ally  
I know, Austin. I know._

I decide not to reply. I place my phone back in my pocket and sit down on a park bench while I wait for Ally. Why am I listening to her, anyway? Oh, right. Because I want her to forgive me.

Didn't I want to avoid this girl? Why do I even want her to forgive me? Her not forgiving me could've been the perfect opportunity to get rid of her!

Although, deep down, I know why I want her to forgive me. Because it's too late to leave her, now. If she leaves now or later, my heart will break again. Because whether I like it or not... The new girl is changing me. I just don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing yet.

What really bothers me, though, is why she cares so much about me. I keep wondering; why did she choose to get me to open up? Why hasn't she given up on me? I need to know.

So, as I see her jog over me and sit down next to me, I decide to break the silence that's been going between us for the past minute and ask her the question that's been in my mind for the past weeks.

"Why?" I ask her, keeping my gaze on the empty playground infront of me. I sense her looking at me, but I don't turn my head.

"Why what?" She asks after a few seconds.

"Why did you stick by me, even though I pushed you away so many times? Why are you always coming back?" I ask her, almost anxious to finally get an answer to my questions.

"You need to learn not to always push people away, Austin. I stuck by you because I knew you needed a friend. And you still do. Maybe you don't want one, but you need one. Everybody does. I always come back because I need you. Just like you need me. You might not believe me, but we need each other."

"Why? Why do you need me? I'm no use. I'm just... me. The guy who outcasted himself and shut everyone out. The guy whose mom died. The guy whose father put in an orphanage. The guy whose grandmother took him in because no one else would." I tell her, speaking exactly what I'm thinking. I swallow a lump in my throat. "The freak." I add, my voice breaking slightly.

_'I'm not sad,'_ I keep telling myself, knowing perfectly well that I'm lying. _'I'm angry.'_

Out of the corner of my eye, I see her shake head, and I hear her sigh. "I need you because you're you. That's why. Because I found myself... unexplicably attached to you in some way. Because you're one of the rare people who understand how I feel about music. And for the record, you're _not_ a freak. You just have a rough past, and I can't blame you for that."

I nod. I don't know what to say. I guess I understand, but to what point? How do I know she's not lying?

_Because she's Ally. And just that is enough to know she's not lying._

"Thanks, Ally. I-I know I may be difficult sometimes, but I'm glad you stayed by me. I'll never thank you enough for that." I speak truthfully, not matter how hard it is to finally admit it.

"It's not like I had to. I wanted to. And Austin?" I finally look at her. "Forget the others. They're just missing out on the great person you are."

I feel a smile tugging on my lips. "Thanks." I hesitate for a second, then decide to hug her. I have to admit, after she gets over her shock and hugs me back, it feels good. I don't remember when was the last time I was hugging someone. Maybe I never did. Well, not since my father... You know what? Let's not think about that, right now.

"So, does that mean you believe in love, now?" She asks me as we pull away.

I chuckle, amused by her hopefulness (is that even a word? If it's not, well... It is now). "No way."

She rolls her eyes, a small smile forming on her lips. "Worth a try."

* * *

**BAM! Done!**

**Random Question of the Day: How do you like your patatoes?**

**Until next time,**

**R5AAFan :)**


	11. Broken Trust & Broken Heart

**Hey, guys! I'm so sorry for not updating earlier! I've just been so damn tired all the time! Seriously, Monday, I went to bed at 4:30, right after school, and woke up at 6:45AM Tuesday morning. And I'm still tired! Like, I'm struggling to keep my eyes opened, right now. And it's 8:00PM! So, yeah. Most of my freetime goes to me either doing my homework, eating, or sleeping :P But good news! Friday's coming soon, so you should get an update some time during the weekend :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin and Ally, or anything else you may recognize in this story. Some of the conversations used were written by Storygurl16.**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

Right as I step inside the school, I stop dead in my track. Everyone's looking at me. Some with sympathy, some are snickering, and others just look... shocked? What's going on?

I shake my head and try my best to ignore all the eyes on me as I make my way to my locker. But having every single person in school looking at you while you walk down hallways isn't really easy to ignore.

"Freak." Some guy shoves me just as I'm about to reach my locker.

I watch him walk away, an eyebrow raised. People usually leave me alone. I've only been physically bullied once since I've outcasted myself, and that was back third grade. Something's off.

"'Sup, weirdo?" Another guy asks me, his two friends trailing behind him. They all have their arms crossed.

"What do you want?" I mutter, opening my locker and shoving my backpack in. Before Ally, I would've simply ignored them. But I think we all know Ally changed my behaviour.

"I think I speak for the whole school when I ask you this: Why did you never tell us you were an orphan?" He asks, a hand over where his heart would be if he had one in mock sympathy.

I freeze. _What..._

"What did you just say?" I ask him, clenching my jaw.

His smirk grows. "Why did you never tell us you were an orphan?"

I blink. I can feel the rage slowly growing inside me. I let out a low growl and slam my locker shut, making at least twenty people jump (I would've added 'and turn my way', but they were all already looking). I push aside anyone who comes in my way and make a beeline for Ally's locker. I don't allow myself to cry, even though I feel like my heart's done. I thought I could trust Ally. I really did. Look how it turned out; now the whole school knows my deepest secret, and my heart's broken way beyond repair. Nothing will ever be able to fix it. It has suffered too many heartbreaks. Too many times being let down.

I catch a glimpse of the brunette traitor herself, who's standing at her locker with her most-likely-to-be sidekick; Trish.

"Seriously, Ally!?" I shout furiously when I get a few feet from her.

She turns around just as I reach her. I glare down at her and she quickly looks down at the floor. "I'm sorry. Cassidy and Kira overheard me talking to Trish! It really wasn't my fault!" She looks back up at me. She looks honest, but right now, I'm pretty much convinced that she's just a really good actress.

"Not your fault!? You weren't supposed to tell anyone that story, not even Trish! I _trusted_ you, Ally!" I yell, getting the attention from the only few people in the hallway that weren't already looking.

"I'm really, truly sorry, Austin! I didn't mean to." She says, glancing at the floor then back up at me. I feel tears forming into my eyes.

"I can't believe this. I knew it! I knew that I shouldn't let anyone in my life. My gut was telling me not to let anyone back in. Did I listen? No. But I sure as hell should of." I spat at her then walk away before she has a chance to respond... and before I start crying.

* * *

After school, I decide to go to the park. This day has been one of the worst in my life—and considering how much my life is messed up, that's saying something. I really don't feel like going home and face my grandmother and her perkiness. I don't feel like seeing anyone, right now.

I still can't believe Ally would do this to me. And I can't believe I actually let her in. She tried for weeks to get me to open up to her. I told her about my past—well, most of it. I let her know more than anyone else, except for my grandmother. She told me she wouldn't leave me. She said I could trust her. And I believed her. I fucking _believed_ her.

How could I be such an idiot? I went through so many betrayals. Yet, I still let Ally in. I think... I think I even started having feelings for her. And this is how it ends. She betrays me.

She's just like everyone else.

I take a shaky breath to keep myself from crying and find an empty spot under a tree. I lie down on the grass and put my earphones in my ears. I press 'play' on my phone and close my eyes, letting the music carry me away from my sad and brutal reality.

About halfway through the fifth song, a shadow comes over me. I open my eyes to see Ally standing there. I glare at her and quickly grab my backpack, walking away from her. My day is already bad. I don't need her to make it even worst.

But, of course, she just _has_ to run after me. "Austin, wait. Please, just... just hear me out." She calls after me, almost begging. It sets me off.

I stop and turn around, glaring at her as hard as I can. "What? What do you want to say? That you're sorry for revealing a secret of mine that you _promised_ to keep? That you didn't mean for the whole school to know? That you're sorry for breaking my trust? Well, guess what. That's _bullshit_." I yell at her.

"Austin, please. I'm sorry." She pleads, her voice unsteady. I notice tears in her eyes, but as far as I know, they could be fake. I don't even know who this girl is anymore. I roll my eyes, which are also beginning to water. I try to push the tears back in, but I know it's no use.

"You know what's the worst? It's not that the whole school knows about my messed up life. It's about the fact that I trusted you. After all the crap that I went through when I was younger, I had promised myself to _never_ let _anyone_ in again. So that I wouldn't get hurt. Then, I met you. I made the mistake to let you in." I spat at her, slightly hoping that the truth will hurt her. When I see the look in her eyes, I know it did.

"It wasn't a mistake!" She exclaims, tears running down her cheeks.

"Yes, it was!" I shout, tears escaping my eyes like two waterfalls. I don't remember when was the last time I cried so much. "See what happened, today? _That's_ why I didn't let anybody in."

"Austin, please." She whispers.

"No." I shake my head. "I trusted you, Ally. I really did." I tell her before walking away.

She doesn't follow me.

* * *

**BAM! Done!**

**I know, I know. Sad chapter :( But if you read Believe Me, then you should know that things will get better ;)**

**Random Question of the Day: In which country do you live? (In case your wondering, I live in Canada. Oh, and some of you wanted to know how _I_ liked my patatoes. Well, to be honest, I'm not a big fan of them, but I guess I'd either go with fried or baked.)**

**Until next time,**

**R5AAFan :)**


	12. Can't Focus

**Hey, guys! I'm here with chapter 12! I was about to go to sleep when I realized I hadn't updated yet, so... Here's the chapter :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally, or anything else you may recognize in this story. Some conversations were written by Storygurl16.**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

I can't focus. I just can't.

Back when we were friends, and even before we were, Ally was always on my mind. I tried pushing her away so that I could focus more on my studies. Now that she's no longer my friend, I realize that she's on my mind anyway. Maybe even more than she used to be.

Right now, we're in math class, and I can't even solve a simple problem.

"Now, can anyone tell me how to solve the quadratic '3x2+x-14'?" The math teacher, Mrs. Williams asks. Before, I could've answered that question without any problem. Now, I can't even remember what Mrs. Williams even asked. "Ally, do you know the answer?"

I glance at Ally, whose heads snaps up at the sound of her name.

"Huh?" She asks.

The class starts laughing. I stay quiet.

_Maybe I'm not the only one who can't focus, after all._

"Is everything alright?" Mrs. Williams asks her.

Ally sighs and shrugs. "Not really. I'm having a hard time paying attention. Sorry. My mind is just elsewhere." She glances at me and we make eye contact, something that hasn't happened in the last three days, since our fight. I roll my eyes and look back at Mrs. Williams, who narrows her eyes. She obviously noticed the tension between us—if we can even call it that.

"Ally, can I talk to you in the hall?" She asks. Ally nods and follows her out of the class. As soon as the door shuts, all the students start whispering, glancing at me, probably wondering what's going on between Ally and I.

I honestly can't believe it. Ally stabs me in the back, and _she's_ the one who can't concentrate? Whose mind is 'elsewhere'? She thinks she has the right to say that? What about me, huh? I'm the one who got betrayed!

* * *

"I'm back." I call without any enthousiasm, coming home from yet another crappy day at school.

Rumours have started to spread around school about me and Ally. People have noticed that we don't talk to each other anymore, so they're trying to figure out what happened between us.

Some people think Ally told me she was in love with me and that I rejected her.

Some other people think that when Ally found out about my past—because they don't know she knew before my secret got spread—she stopped talking to me because she thought I was a freak.

Others think we had a huge fight because Ally was mad at me for not telling her about my past.

There are a bunch of other rumours, but I don't even bother remembering them, because they're simply ridiculous. Like that one about Ally being pregnant. I mean, what the hell is wrong with these people?!

"Austin, is that you?" My grandmother asks.

I roll my eyes. "Who else would it be?"

My grandmother steps out of the kitchen, eyeing me with the same look she used to have in her eyes before I met Ally. I try to ignore it, but I'm not stupid. I know she's upset that I got back to my old attitude, shutting everyone out. But I can't help it. Ally was just the proof I needed to know for sure that shutting people out is the best way to live. That way, no one can hurt me.

"How was your day?" She tries to make small talk, probably hoping to get me to talk.

"Crappy." I say, heading for the basement.

"Austin." She calls after me.

I sigh and stop walking. "What?"

"What happened between you and Ally?"

I shake my head. "Look, I'm really not in the mood to talk, right now."

"When are you ever?" She retorts, and I fight back a small smile.

I narrow my eyes at her. "Good point."

She smiles and waves me over at the small kitchen table. "Come. Talk to me."

I sigh, but sit down at the table anyway. "What do you want me to talk about?"

"Just..." She shrugs. "Tell me what's going on. Is it about Ally?"

I sigh yet again and nod. "Yeah."

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Not really."

She nods. "Well, I think you should forgive her. No matter what she did, I'm sure she didn't do it on purpose."

I shake my head. "I can't, Grandma! She spread my secret around the whole school! I just can't forgive her that easily for something like that!"

"Why not? She seems really nice." His grandma says.

Again, I sigh. "I know she's nice, but she still did something really wrong. I trusted her not to tell anyone, and she told her friend, Trish. Apparently, Cassidy was eavesdropping, and she spread it around the whole school." I tell her, remembering what Ally told me, the day of our fight.

"Wait, so, someone else told everyone? I thought you said Ally did?" She says.

"No, Ally just told her friend. Cassidy's the one who told everyone." I mutter bitterly, a sudden urge of punching Cassidy growing inside me. But of course I won't do that. I don't hit girls. I don't really hit anyone, actually.

My grandma frowns in confusion. "Then, shouldn't you be mad at Cassidy?"

"Well, yeah, but Ally-"

"Here's what I think it is. I think you like Ally." She says. I look at her like she's grown a second head. Where did that come from?!

"What!? I do not like her!" I exclaim.

"I think you do. She's really nice. I think you should ask her out."

I scoff. "You're going crazy, Grandma. I do not, and I repeat, do not, like Ally like that."

"Do you like her as a friend?"

I shrug. "Well, yeah. She's a great friend."

"That tells you right there. You should forgive her. It probably just slipped out and she didn't mean to tell anyone."

"Whatever, Grandma. I'm going to my room." I roll my eyes, getting up. I go to my room, then take out my phone from my pocket. I almost drop it when I see that it's on and currently on a phonecall with Ally.

"Shit! Ally?" I ask into the receiver.

"Y-yeah?" I hear Ally reply. I would never admit it out loud, but I kind of missed her voice.

"You heard all of that, didn't you?" I ask, fear taking over me.

I hear her sigh. "Yeah."

I nod and bite the inside of my cheek. "I gotta go." I say quickly and hang up, then slap my forehead.

_Yeah, way to handle the situation, Austin._

* * *

**BAM! Done!**

**I'm sorry, I know the chapters are short, but honestly, it's kind of either that or no updates at all. I don't want to throw in all the stuff in one chapter, then have nothing to write for the next. This story is already heading for having less chapters than Believe Me, so I try not to mix two chapters of Believe Me into one for I Don't Believe You too much... If that makes any sense. I'm kinda tired right now, so I'm not even sure if what I just typed makes sense or not... Thankfully, that's only for the author note ;P**

**Random Question of the Day: Have you watched the new Disney movie How to Build a Better Boy?**

**Well, I'm going to sleep now.**

**Until next time,**

**R5AAFan :)**


	13. Don't Give Up On Me

**Hey, guys! I'm back! I thought I wouldn't be able to update at all this weekend because we've just started moving stuff into the house we'll be staying in for the next three months (starting next weekend) and this afternoon until late tonight we're going to be celebrating my step-sister's birthday, and tomorrow I'm going to go do the groceries with my mom and we'll probably move stuff again, so yeah. I didn't think I'd have the time to update. But I did! Yay to my only spare time for this weekend!**

**Guys, I started reading Four (you Divergent series lovers will know what I'm talking about) a few days ago and I'm already almost done! I love that book! I can't even explain how awesome it is.**

**Anyway, I'll stop babbling now :P**

**Who's excited for Videos & Villains tomorrow?! I know I am!**

**Diclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally, or anything else you may recognize in this story.**

**My Twitter: Mimi_R5Family**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Austin, time to wake up."

I groan, burrying my head deeper into my pillow. "No."

"You have to go to school."

"Still. No."

"Austin, please?"

I sigh loudly and turn over to look at my grandmother. "No."

She crosses her arms. "Austin, I know you don't want to face Ally, but it's better to face her now than later. You'll have to at some point."

I roll my eyes. "Grandma, it's not just about Ally, okay? Everyone looks at me even more weirdly than they used to." I turn my back to her. "I think I should just switch schools."

"A few months before the school year ends? What is it your kids say... Oh, right! No way."

"Whatever." I grumble and get up anyway, avoiding her gaze.

I hate this. It's like I'm back to being old Austin. I never thought I'd hate being this way so much.

And again, it's all because of Ally.

* * *

"Hi."

I freeze. _What does _she_ want? Has she not humiliated me enough already?_

I turn around anyway. If she tries talking about last night's butt call, I'll just ignore her. Yeah, that'll work.

But my plan vanishes from my mind as soon as we make eye contact. Her eyes are full of pain and regret, and I can't bear the sight of it. So, I roll my eyes and walk away. Typical post-Ally Austin attitude.

I feel a small hand wrap itself around my wrist and I stop at the familiar tingles. I turn back to Ally and attempt to glare at her, but the pain she put me through somehow softens my glare. Stupid new girl.

"What do you want?" I ask her, trying my best to sound harsh.

She sighs. "Look, I know you don't want anything to do with me, so I'm willing to leave you alone. But before I do so, I want you to hear me out."

My heart breaks even more at her words. She's giving up on me? Is this what she's doing?

I cross my arms, doing my best to look strong. "Fine. Go ahead."

"Okay... Umm... Well..." She shakes her head. "I know you're mad at me, but—I'm sorry to bring that call up, but I need to—your grandma is right! You're being mad at the wrong person! I wasn't the one who told the whole school about your life, I would never do that to you! You know that! I could never do anything to hurt you."

"Then, why did you tell Trish? You promised not to tell _anyone_!" I point out, trying not to shout at her to avoid bringing any more attention to us.

"Okay, I know. I won't deny it. I made a mistake, alright? I'm sorry. But if it helps anything, I knew I could trust Trish and that she'd never tell a soul. Otherwise, I wouldn't have told her."

"Are you done?"

"No. You have to understand something. I know you think letting me in was a mistake, but it wasn't. Yes, I betrayed your trust, and I'll never be able to forgive myself for that. But that doesn't mean you have to shut everyone out again. Someday, you'll find someone who will love you... even more than I do. Don't shut them out in fear of getting hurt. You'll just get hurt more. And if you shut them out, they'll never get the chance to know someone as great as you." Ally pats my shoulder and gives me a tight, obviously forced smile. "Don't shut everyone out, Austin." She says before walking away.

So... this is it, huh? That's how it ends.

No. This can't be. She can't leave me. I need her.

"Wait." I say and she stops, but doesn't turn around, making me sigh. "Thanks."

"No problem." She nods and starts walking again. Not willing to let her leave, I quickly get a grip on her arm. She turns around and her eyes search mine.

"You don't understand." I tell her. "I'm thanking you for everything. Sticking by me when I rejected you so many times, not giving up on me, and... showing me that there's someone who cares." I say, getting closer to her with every word until our faces are just a centimeter appart. If any of us moves closer, we'll be kissing. Not that I'd mind.

There. I admit it. I like Ally. Maybe even love her. I don't know. But what I know for sure is that I have feelings for her. Strong feelings.

"Who's that?" She asks in a shaky voice, her eyes flickering to my lips before returning to my eyes. There's the clue I've been looking for.

"You." I say before leaning in closer, wrapping my arms around her waist before her lips touch mine.

It's crazy how someone can completely break your heart, yet you still manage to love them with the little pieces left. Ally, without even knowing it, taught me that.

* * *

I'm sitting at my usual table in the cafeteria when I see Ally come in with Trish. Her eyes almost immediately find mine at she seems to absent-mindly listen to Trish. I shoot her a small smile and shyly wave her over.

We haven't talked since this morning, after the kiss. What if it gets awkward between us? I can't loose her. Not now.

I watch as Ally turns to Trish, who smiles knowingly. They exchange a few words before going their separate ways, Ally walking towards me, and Trish to wherever she usually sits, I'm guessing.

"Hey." I greet Ally as she sits down across the table, infront of me.

"Hi." She greets me back.

See? This is what I meant by awkward.

"Okay, let's not make things awkward." She says, making me sigh in relief. "Care to explain why you kissed me?"

... Nevermind. The relief's gone.

I shrug as casually as I can. "It just... I don't know... It felt right, I guess."

Smooth, Austin. Really smooth.

"So, you kissed me because it felt right?" She asks, her face twisted in confusion and slight hurt.

I fight back a groan of frustration. "Look, Ally, you know I'm not good with my feelings. I don't know how to deal with them." I tell her hopelessly. "But I think I finally figured out why I wouldn't let you in."

"Why is that?"

"Because..." I trail off and sigh. "I like you. I pushed you away because it was the only way to push away my feelings. I didn't want to like you, or let you in, but... I don't know... It's like I couldn't help it. And I still can't."

Her expression turns even more hurt. "Why didn't you want to like me? Am I that horrible?"

I feel my eyes grow wide as I quickly shake my head. "No! No no, that's— that's not what I meant! It's just that... you know, with everything that happened in my life, I didn't want to let myself getting hurt again. But with everything you told me this morning, I realized that pushing you away was just hurting me more. I know you didn't mean to let the whole school know about my used-to-be-secret. I overreacted, and I'm sorry."

"Is that why you left so quickly when you were at my house, the other day? You were scared?"

I nod, looking down at my food in shame, doing my best to avoid her eyes. "I was scared to let you in. Because I didn't believe in love and I was scared that I was starting to have feelings for you. I knew you were different from everyone else, but... I just couldn't help but look back to everything that happened to me in the past. So, I did what my head told me to and pushed you away. Until I couldn't anymore. Because you were ready to give up on me. And that's when I realized that I couldn't let you do that." I say then look back up to meet her eyes again. "I need you, Ally. Please don't give up on me like everyone else did." I say. And yes. I'm pleading.

"Austin, I could never give up on you. Even if I wanted to." She tells me.

"Then, why were you ready to do so, this morning?" I ask her, confusion and curiousity getting the best of me.

"I wasn't. I thought you didn't want anything to do with me, and that no matter how hard I tried, you were so mad at me that you would never talk to me again. I didn't want to give up on you. I never did. But I was ready to leave you alone. I wasn't giving up on you. I was giving you space. I would've watched you from a fair distance, hoping you'd open up to someone else. Someone who wouldn't betray your trust like I did."

"You didn't betray my trust. It wasn't your fault. It was Cassidy's." I tell her what took me so long to accept.

"Still. I should've kept my mouth shut and not tell Trish. But like I said earlier, I wouldn't have told her if I knew I couldn't trust her."

"I know. And like I said, I'm sorry I overreacted."

She nods, sighing. "Can we just start over?"

"Sure."

She sticks out her hand at me. "I'm Ally."

I chuckle, shaking her hand. "I'm Austin. You know, my old self would've rejected you."

"Your old self?" She raises an eyebrow, pretending to be confused.

I nod, playing along. "Yup. I met this... pretty amazing girl." I smile to myself. "She taught me that life is about taking risks, and that no matter what, you'll always have someone who cares about you."

She smiles widely. "She sounds amazing."

I nod again, smiling at our now intertwined hands. "She is."

* * *

**BAM! Done!**

**So...? What do ya think? Auslly's here, guys! :D**

**Random Question of the Day: What was the last song you listened to? For me, it was The Man Who Can't Be Moved by The Script.**

**Until next time,**

**R5AAFan :)**


	14. New Song

**Hey, guys! I only have four minutes to post this, so no big author note today!**

**Disclaimer: The usual.**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

Should I ask her? Or should I not? Is it too soon? What would she say? Would she say yes? Maybe that kiss and that little flirting meant nothing to her. Maybe it was just a 'caught in the moment' kind of situation for her.

Now, you're probably wondering what I'm so worked up about, right? One word: Homecoming. It's coming soon, and I keep debating with myself whether or not I should ask Ally. Not knowing exactly how she feels is driving me crazy!

"Okay, class. Remember that assignment I gave you, last week?" Mr. Johnson, the music teacher, asks, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Everyone nods.

"Well, there's been a slight change in the rules. Instead of having a partner, this is going to be a solo project." He says.

Shouts of protest are heard around the room. I watch, too shocked to react. Ally and I had our song complete and ready to be performed. Most other students' songs seem to be as well. Why would Mr. Johnson make us write a whole new song on our own right before the due date for the first project?

"Seriously!? Me and my partner are almost done!" Someone yells, causing everyone to start yelling even louder.

"Everyone, please be quiet! I'm not done!" Mr. Johnson exclaims, but obviously, no one listens.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Ally stand up on a chair and—Wait.

I do a double take.

Yup. Ally's standing on a chair.

"HEY! SHUT UP!" She screams so loud that my ears start ringing.

Dead silence. We could head a pin drop.

Ally smiles in satisfaction and we make eye contact. I don't even bother looking away. I just stare at her, jaw dropped and eyes wide, most likely looking like a complete and total idiot.

"Thank you, Ally." Mr. Johnson says.

"No problem." She smiles, and sits back in her chair like she didn't just get up on it and screamed at everyone to shut up.

"Anyway, I want you guys to write your own song. You'll have to sing it in front of the class. I'll be grading you on your ability to be creative." Mr. Johnson continues.

I glance at Ally, still confused by Mr. Johnson's decision, but she just shrugs in response.

Well, then.

* * *

"So, homecoming's coming up. Are you excited?" I ask Ally before taking a bite of my burger. It's lunch, so we're currently sitting at our usual table in the cafeteria.

"Eh, it's whatever." She shrugs

I frown before swallowing my food. "Oh, we'll, aren't girls usually really excited about that kind of stuff?"

"Stereotypically."

"Well, has anyone asked you yet?" I ask, attempting to be casual. Seems to be working.

"No, why?" She asks.

I freeze for a second, then shrug. "Just curious."

That was casual, right? Yeah... She didn't even see my little moment of panic.

"Oh, well, okay." She blinks.

I nod. "I have to, uh, go to the bathroom real quick. I'll, uh, b-be right back." I say nervously, before quickly standing up and forcing myself not to run out of the cafeteria.

One thing for sure; that was _not_ casual.

* * *

Write a song... About what? There's nothing to write about!

I don't understand why Mr. Johnson would make us write a whole new song all by ourselves when we were almost ready to perform with our partner. I don't even know how to write a song! Well, not by myself anyway.

I groan, dropping my head into my hands and slamming my elbows on my keyboard's keys, causing a horrible sound to come out of it.

One thing for sure; I'm going to completely humiliate myself.

"Austin, are you okay?" I hear behind me. I turn around to see my grandma standing in the doorway with a worried look on her face.

I turn back to my keyboard. "My music teacher wants us to write a song by ourselves."

"But weren't you supposed to do it with Ally?" She asks, walking over.

"Yeah, but he told us today he decided not to do the partner project. At the last minute! I don't understand why he'd do that."

She purses her lips and stays silent.

"I don't even know what to write about. And even if I did have an idea, it'd come out horrible since I'm a terrible songwriter."

"Don't say that; I'm sure you learned a few tricks when you were writing your song with Ally."

I scoff. "I wish."

She smiles and puts a hand on my shoulder. "Have some faith in yourself." I stare blankly at her, then at her hand. She clears her throat awkwardly and removes her hand from my shoulder. "As for having ideas, you just have to look around. Everything and everyone have stories waiting to be told. You just have to find your inspiration. Maybe a friend of yours could help." She winks, then walks out of my room.

When did my grandma get so deep?

* * *

**BAM! Done!**

**Thanks for all the feedback, guys! Very appreciated :)**

**Until next time,**

**R5AAFan :)**


	15. And I Let Her Go

**Hey, guys! I'm right in the middle of moving but I had a few minutes to update, so... Here's the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally, or anything else you may recognize in this story.**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

"Hey, Alls. How's your song coming?" I ask Ally, the next day as we once again reunite at our table.

"Great! I'm almost done." She smiles proudly. "How about you?"

I shrug. "Can't find anything to write about. I've never been really good at writing songs."

She smiles reassuringly. "I'm sure you'll find something."

We eat in silence for a bit, until I see someone standing behind Ally. I look up to see a member of the popular crowd. What's his name again? Elliot?

"Hey, Ally." He greets Ally, completely ignoring my existence (not like he ever noticed it in all of the years we spent in the same schools).

"Elliot. Hi!" Ally exclaims, her eyes lighting up. So his name _is_ Elliot. But the real question is; what does he want from my Ally? Umm... Take out the 'my' from that last sentence, will you? Pretend I never said that. "What's up?"

"I'll just come out straight and say it." He says, more to himself than to Ally, then takes a deep breath. Honestly, he just looks weird, right now. "Will you go to the homecoming with me?"

... What? No. No! This can't be happening. _I'm_ supposed to be asking her to homecoming, not him!

"Umm..." Ally glances at me. I shrug, because, I mean, what else could I do? Screaming 'NO! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE GOING WITH ME, YOU JUST DON'T KNOW IT YET!' isn't really that good of an option. She turns back to Elliot. "Okay."

"Okay?" He repeats, almost like he doesn't allow himself to believe it, and honestly, we're both in the same boat right now.

She nods, making my heart crack slightly. I hate how much I like her. I don't like these new feelings.

"Okay." She confirms.

Elliot grins. "Awesome." He says before turning around and walking away. As Ally turns back to me, a small smile is on her face.

"Looks like you have a date, huh?" I say, attempting to sound happy about it.

I failed.

She nods, pursing her lips. "Looks like it."

I look down at my plate for a few seconds, before looking back up to meet her eyes once again. "Well, good for you. I gotta go." I say and quickly get up. I can't bare being with her when I know she's with another guy... Even if it's just for homecoming.

I'm about to walk away, when I feel a hand grab my wrist.

And the weird tingles are back, everybody!

"Wait, what's wrong? You're acting weird."

"Nothing. I just... I have to work on my song." I lie, knowing perfectly well that she won't let me go anyway. "I'll see you later."

"Austin—" She begins, but I don't let her finish and tug roughly to break free from her hold on my wrist, before walking away.

_Did she really manage to break my heart once again?_

* * *

That night, when I get home, I immediately go to my room (as usual) and sit at my keyboard with my guitar on my lap. We have to perform our song in two days, but I can't even write a single line. All I have in my head is Ally. How could she do that to me? She knows I like her, yet she said yes to Elliot.

Worst thing is, I realized I actually loved when she agreed to go to homecoming with Elliot. Great timing, huh?

You only know you love her when you let her go, I guess.

Wait.

That's it!

I know exactly what my song will be about.

* * *

"Alright, class! Settle down, please! It's time to hear your songs!" Mr. Johnson exclaims. "I hope you guys are ready, or... Well, you'll humiliate yourself infront of the class. Oh, the joy! Well, let's begin!"

Yeah. Way to make us feel confident (note the sarcasm).

After hearing a few songs, it's my turn.

I take a shaky breath and stand up before walking up to face the rest of the class with my guitar in my hand.

"Umm... Hey." I nod at them. I catch Ally's eye for a second and gulp nervously. Not knowing what else to say, I begin strumming my guitar. When it's the time, I start to sing.

_Well you only need the light when it's burning low  
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow  
Only know you love her when you let her go_

Ally and I make eye contact again. My heart skips a beat and I have to look away to stay focused on the song.

_Only know you've been high when you're feeling low  
Only hate the road when you're missin' home  
Only know you love her when you let her go  
And you let her go_

_Staring at the bottom of your glass  
Hoping one day you'll make a dream last  
But dreams come slow and they go so fast_

_You see her when you close your eyes  
Maybe one day you'll understand why  
Everything you touch surely dies_

_But you only need the light when it's burning low  
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow  
Only know you love her when you let her go_

_Only know you've been high when you're feeling low  
Only hate the road when you're missin' home  
Only know you love her when you let her go_

_Staring at the ceiling in the dark  
Same old empty feeling in your heart  
'Cause love comes slow and it goes so fast_

I take a chance and glance at Ally once again. This time, she's staring intensly at my guitar, looking deep in thought.

_Well you see her when you fall asleep  
But never to touch and never to keep  
'Cause you loved her too much  
And you dived too deep_

As we once again make eye contact, she seems to be hit with realization.

She knows what the song is about. I just know she does.

_Well you only need the light when it's burning low  
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow  
Only know you love her when you let her go_

_Only know you've been high when you're feeling low  
Only hate the road when you're missin' home  
Only know you love her when you let her go_

_And you let her go (oh, oh, ooh, oh no)  
And you let her go (oh, oh, ooh, oh no)  
Will you let her go?_

_'Cause you only need the light when it's burning low  
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow  
Only know you love her when you let her go_

_Only know you've been high when you're feeling low  
Only hate the road when you're missin' home  
Only know you love her when you let her go_

_'Cause you only need the light when it's burning low  
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow  
Only know you love her when you let her go_

_Only know you've been high when you're feeling low  
Only hate the road when you're missin' home  
Only know you love her when you let her go_

_And you let her go_

With one last strum, the song ends. The class claps, most of them looking stunned. But one of them isn't. Ally.

"Good job, Austin. Next up, Ally." Mr. Johnson says as I go back to my seat.

I watch as Ally walks to the front of the class, nervously fidling with her fingers.

"Umm... I wrote this song about a... a friend of mine. It's called Give Your Heart a Break." My eyes catch hers. My breath gets caught in my throat. "I hope you like it."

The track she (I'm guessing) previously recorded and gave to Mr. Johnson starts playing. After a few seconds, she starts singing.

_The day I first met you  
You told me you'd never fall in love  
But now that I get you  
I know fear is what it really was_

I shift uncomfortably in my seat as I feel a few stares on me. Of course everyone already know who her song is about.

_Now here we are,  
So close yet so far.  
Haven't I passed the test?  
When will you realize,  
Baby, I'm not like the rest?_

I chuckle to myself. Of course she's not like the rest. I know that now.

_Don't wanna break your heart  
Wanna give your heart a break  
I know you're scared it's wrong  
Like you might make a mistake  
There's just one life to live  
And there's no time to wait, to wait  
So let me give your heart a break, give your heart a break  
Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break  
There's just so much you can take  
Give your heart a break  
Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break  
Oh yeah, yeah_

I smile and shake my head to myself in disbelief. Ally's voice never ceases to amaze me. We (once again) make eye contact and she grins, probably at my amazed look.

_On Sunday you went home alone  
There were tears in your eyes  
I called your cell phone, my love  
But you did not reply_

_The world is ours. If we want it,  
We can take it if you just take my hand.  
There's no turning back now.  
Baby, try to understand_

_Don't wanna break your heart  
Wanna give your heart a break  
I know you're scared it's wrong  
Like you might make a mistake  
There's just one life to live  
And there's no time to wait, to wait  
So let me give your heart a break, give your heart a break  
Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break  
There's just so much you can take  
Give your heart a break  
Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break  
Oh yeah, yeah_

Her eyes stay on mine through the whole chorus. For once, I don't break eye contact.

_When your lips are on my lips  
Then our hearts beat as one_

My heart's beating so fast, right now. I wonder if hers beats at the same pace.

_But you slip out of my fingertips  
Every time you run, whoa-oh-whoa-oh-oh_

Gasps are heard around the classroom as she hits a high note perfectly. I smile proudly, knowing how she used to not want to share her amazing singing voice with anyone. Now everyone knows how talented she is.

_Don't wanna break your heart  
Wanna give your heart a break  
I know you're scared it's wrong  
Like you might make a mistake  
There's just one life to live  
And there's no time to wait, to wait  
So let me give your heart a break_

_'Cause you've been hurt before  
I can see it in your eyes  
You try to smile it away, some things you can't disguise  
Don't wanna break your heart  
Baby, I can ease the ache, the ache_

I know she can ease the ache. She already did.

_So let me give your heart a break, give your heart a break  
Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break  
There's just so much you can take  
Give your heart a break  
Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break  
Oh yeah, yeah_

_The day I first met you  
You told me you'd never fall in love_

And I was wrong.

The whole class cheers loudly as the song ends and Ally returns to her seat. She turns around and she catches me staring. I honestly don't even care. I smile and give her a tumbs up. She grins and nods before turning back around.

I told her I'd never fall in love. That was until I got to know her.

* * *

"So... That song. It was really good." I tell Ally at lunch.

She smiles. "Thanks. Yours was great."

I smile back, feeling a bit shy (which hardly ever happens to me). "Thanks. But yours was better. May I ask who it was about?" I ask, smirking and playfully wiggling my eyebrows.

She giggles, giving me a look. "I think you already know who it's about."

I nod. "I think I do."

Then, out of nowhere, an arm lands around Ally's shoulders. I frown as I notice the arm is attached to Elliot's body.

"Hey." He greets Ally with a smile that makes me want to throw all of my food (and my fork... and my knife) at him.

"Hey." Ally greets him back. She then glances me, looking uncomfortable.

I purse my lips and sigh. "I'll leave you two alone."

"Wait, Austin, I-"

I don't let her finish her sentence. I walk away, feeling her gaze on me.

Why did I let her go?

* * *

**BAM! Done.**

**Still no time to write an author's note, so... See ya! (Sorry for the rush, I'm just really really busy.)**

**Until next time,**

**R5AAFan :)**


	16. Dez?

**Hey, guys! New chapter, here!**

**Sorry for the wait, I spent most of my time this week unpacking my stuff and I spent Thursday night doing community service (we need to do 40 hours of community service during our high school years to graduate). Plus, last night, I had to do a project with my friends (it took us five hours) so... Yeah. But good news is; I'm back! ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally, or anything else you may recognize in this story.**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

I don't know what's wrong with me.

Ally's just a girl. I'll get over her. If she wants to date Elliot, then she should... Right? I mean, she seems to think he's much better than me anyway.

What does he have that I don't?

Everything. That's the answer to that question. He's popular, good looking, kinda nice (although I'm sure he's truly the biggest jerks of all the jerks), and he actually had the guts to ask Ally to homecoming—something I couldn't do because I was too scared of rejection. Ally didn't have any reason to say no to him. Even if we kissed and that she knew I liked her, she knew just like I do that Elliot is way better than I'll ever be. I just have to accept that.

_Accepting that I have something to accept is a step in the right direction, isn't it?_

I don't have time to ponder over the question because of a knock on my door.

"Who is it?" I ask, which is weird since I know it could only be my grandmother.

"Ally."

... Nevermind.

I roll my eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I- Umm... I really need a friend, right now."

"Like Trish?" I deadpan, trying to ignore how odd her voice sounds. Almost like she just cried. She also sounds out of breath.

"Austin, please." She begs, and I'm pretty sure I hear a small sob. "I need you." She says so quietly I almost don't catch it through the closed door.

I sigh. "Come in."

The door opens and Ally steps in. I immediately notice how red and puffy her eyes are. There's a hint of make-up smudged on her cheeks, and her lips quivers as we make eye contact.

Growing worried, I rush over her and bring her into a hug. "What happened?" I ask her, completely forgetting how she broke my heart a few days ago.

"Trish was right, he's a jerk! He can't be trusted! I don't know why I agreed to go to the homecoming with him." She sobs.

I tense up as I get a feeling I know who she's talking about. "Elliot?"

I feel her nod against my chest. "Yup."

_Nice to know Trish was on my side._

"I'm gonna punch that idiot." I mutter, glaring at the empty space infront of me as if Elliot was standing there. How dare he hurts Ally like that? He actually got the chance to go to homecoming with Ally and date her, and he let her go? What kind of idiot is he?

I'm brought out of my thoughts by Ally who touches my jaw with the tip of her fingers and guides my eyes on hers. "Don't. He's not worth it."

"B-But... He hurt you!" I protest.

"Hurting him back won't make things better! P-Please. Don't punch him." I look away. If I look into her eyes, I'll agree to anything she asks me to do. I know it. She places her hand on my arm and as the familiar tingles come back, my eyes feel somehow attracted to hers like a magnet. "For me?"

I sigh. "Fine. For you."

The ghost of a smile appears on her lips as she nods gratefully. "Thank you."

I nod back in a 'no problem' way and sit back down on my bed, motionning for her to do the same. She takes a few seconds to consider the offer, then sits down next to me.

"So... Give Your Heart a Break, huh?" I decide to lighten up the mood by teasing her and I smirk, playfully nudging her.

She nods. "Hmm."

"It was about me, wasn't it?"

Again, she nods. "Yup. Any comments?"

I don't know what comes over me, but next thing I know, my lips are on hers. As I feel her freeze, I decide to pull away, but just as I'm about to do so, she kisses me back.

And just like that, she just mend my heart all over again.

We stay like that, kissing on my bed for a few more seconds, until she pulls away roughly. I watch as she quickly gets up and starts pacing, her fingers on her lips.

"I-I'm so sorry, Ally. I didn't mean to—" I apologize nervously, feeling quite rejected.

"No." She cuts me off. "I-It's just that... I just saw Elliot kissing Cassidy when we were sort of dating, and then I come to you, and we kiss, and—" She sighs. "I don't know what to think anymore."

"Then, don't think."

"Since when do you believe in love, anyway?"

"Since you came into my life and made me believe in it."

"I didn't make you."

"No, but you proved to me that it does exist."

She stays silent for a bit, then blurts out, "I'm sorry."

I frown, as confused as ever. "For what?"

"For accepting to be Elliot's date. I knew you liked me and it was wrong. And now I've totally ruined my chances with you." She groans and throws herself on the bed.

I watch her as she places her hands over her eyes and wonder where on Earth she got the idea that her chances with me were ruined. I mean, I realized I loved Ally when she said yes to Elliot, didn't I? So, in a way, that _increased_ her chances of being with me.

"Ally, did you ever give up on me when I kept pushing you away?" I ask her.

"No. You know that." She replies with no trace of doubt in her voice as she turns to look at me.

"Exactly. I didn't give up on you either when you were with Elliot. I knew he wasn't the right guy for you. I also knew Trish wouldn't let you off the hook either. So I just waited for you to realize what we had all already realized."

Okay... That's a lie. But it's not like she'll ever find that out.

She shuts her eyes tightly and slowly shakes her head. "I'm such an idiot." She mutters, then opens her eyes again.

I shake my head and switch positions so that I'm now lying on my stomach, matching Ally's position. Now, our faces are only a few inches apart. I fight back an arrogant smirk as I hear her suck in a breath and notice her eyes flickering from my eyes to my lips, then back to my eyes.

"You're not an idiot." I tell her, being careful to look directly into her eyes so that she knows I'm being honest.

"Yes, I am." She argues anyway.

"Tell me one good reason why you're an idiot." I challenge her.

"Because... I didn't realize I was in love with you sooner."

Did I just hear her right? Did she just say she was in love with me?

This is the best day ever!

I grin. "I'm an idiot as well, then."

She bites her lip (and I fight the urge to just kiss her right there). "Why is that?"

"Because I pushed away the girl I loved for way too long."

"Well, do you still love that girl?"

I nod with a smile, suddenly feeling a bit shy. "Yeah."

She smiles so big I'm worried her face will shatter. "I think she loves you too."

I raise an eyebrow and smirk playfully, trying to act as if her saying that isn't making me want to do the weirdest and biggest happy dance ever. "Really?"

She giggles. "Yeah."

I smile and lean in, but I stop about an inch before my lips reach hers as I remember her reaction to our last kiss. I catch her eyes and silently ask her for permission. She nods ever-so-slightly and not even a second later, my lips are back on hers (best feeling ever, by the way).

And then, my phone rings, which completely ruins the moment. I groan and pull away from Ally to grab my phone. I look at the called ID: Unknown Number. I frown.

"Hello?" I answer and put my phone on speaker so that Ally can hear as well.

"Hey, Austin. Umm... I don't know if you remember me, but it's Dez."

My eyes grow wide. Is this some kind of prank? Dez is the friend that left me back in second grade. Why would he call me now? And how did he get my number?

"Dez? Crazy redhead Dez?" I ask in disbelief.

Dez chuckles. "That's me."

"W-Why are you calling me now?"

"Because Ally convinced me to. I'm so sorry for causing you to outcast yourself, Austin. I never meant to hurt you."

I pause.

_Ally?_

"Wait, wait, wait. You talked to Ally? Ally Dawson? How?" I ask, glancing at Ally, who just smiles.

"Austin... I've been back in Miami since fourth grade."

What?

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I tried. Don't you remember? You completely shut me out."

I frown. "I did?"

"Yeah." Dez says.

**FLASHBACK**

_I sighed as I sat down alone, watching the other kids play on the playground. I didn't want to join them. They would've just made fun of me because I never talked to anyone. I knew that's what they'd do. That's what everyone else did._

_"Hi." A guy said and sat down next to me. He seemed familiar, but I couldn't remember having seen him anywhere before._

_I frowned at him. Why was he talking to me? I bet he was trying to gain my trust to use it against me later._

_With that in mind, I decided to ignore him. After a few minutes of awkward silence, the guy stared at me for a few seconds, then got up and walked away. I watched him as he joined a latina girl that was new at our school on the swing set. They talked for a bit, glancing at me a few times during their conversation, and the guy looking slightly worried. I didn't give it a second thought._

_He tried talking to me again a few times, but I never talked back to him._

_He eventually gave up._

**END OF FLASHBACK**

"So, I've been watching you from afar ever since, hoping that one day, someone would come into your life and make you open up again. When Ally came, I hoped really hard that she'd be that person. Turns out she was."

"One more question: Why did you leave me?"

I hear him sigh. "Well, in the summer between first and second grade, my family and I moved because of my dad's job. I never told you because it was too hard for me to tell my first and only friend that I had to move away. When I moved back, in fourth grade, I tried to be friends with you again, like I said, but you completely shut me out. I asked Trish, a friend I had made who moved in Miami in third grade what was up with you without giving too much details away, and she told me your story. Well, what she had heard, anyway. After two weeks of trying to get you to open up to me again, I gave up. I know it was a bad decision, but what else could I do? I was young, and not a bit as determined as Ally was." I chuckle at that. No one is as determined as Ally. "So, I left you alone. If only I knew back then what you had been through during that time, maybe I would've tried harder. But I didn't. So... Yeah. Again, I'm really sorry, Austin." Dez ends his explanation.

"Don't sweat it. Hey, could we meet up? I'd really like to get to know my old bud again."

"I'd like that. Maybe at school? Ally could surely set us up. Maybe you could eat with us at lunch. Austin, Ally, Dez, and Trish. We could be like a gang, or something!"

I chuckle. "You didn't change at all, did you?"

"Well, I grew up quite a lot, but other than that, I don't think I did. Oh, I gotta go feed my mermaid. I'll see you around."

"Yeah, see ya." I say before hanging up. I can't believe I just talked to Dez! I smile and look at Ally. "I can't believe you knew about Dez and never told me."

"Sorry. I just thought it was something he had to do on his own." She explains.

"I understand." I start playing with her fingers absentmindly, feeling shy yet again. "You know, I need to do something on my own too."

"Really? And what is that?"

"Ask you to be my girlfriend."

"Oh, really? Well, go on then." She smiles.

"Ally, will you be my girlfriend?"

"Of course I will, you idiot!" She exclaims. I grin and lean in for a kiss.

* * *

"Hey, Alls?" I break the silence. We're both sitting on my bed. Ally's head is on my shoulder and I'm still playing with her fingers.

"Hmm?"

"Why did you stick by me when I pushed you away so many times? Why didn't you give up on me like the others did?"

"Because I love you. And I care about you."

"But why? I mean, I'm just a freak who outcasted himself for several years, not talking to anyone and glaring at everyone who tried to. Why didn't you give up when I was obviously a lost cause?"

She sighs. "Austin, we already went through this."

"Answer me." I insist.

"Because I knew you weren't a lost cause. You know I'm not like the others. I don't judge by the first look. I thought you were intriguing. You were mysterious and I felt like it was my job to discover the real you. The one you never let anyone see. And I'm glad I got to see that Austin. I just wish you let the others see him too. He's great."

"Maybe, but... He's embarassing."

"Why?"

"Because he's me. The broken boy with no parents. The poor guy who likes music. That guy's weak, and I'm scared that if I let that part of me show, it'll mean that I'm letting my guard down." I admit.

"Austin... Life's about taking risks. You can't always build walls around you just because you're scared of getting hurt. Look, I won't lie to you, life isn't always easy. There'll be bumps on the road. Yes, you'll get hurt. But that's how life's supposed to be. You can't avoid that. If you do, you'll be even more miserable than if you let yourself get hurt from times to times."

I nod, looking down at my hands to avoid looking in her eyes. "I know."

"You can't hide your real self out of fear. If they don't like you for who you are, they're not worth it." She says and tilts her head to the side to catch my attention. It does, and she smiles slightly as our eyes meet yet again. "But just know that I'll always be by your side, no matter what. Also, I got to hang out with Real Austin. And, let me tell you, I like him way better."

I smile slightly. "Thanks, Alls."

"So, will you please be yourself from now on?"

I nod. "Fine. But I'll need your help."

She grins proudly. "Deal."

* * *

**BAM! Done!**

**What do ya think? Tell me in a review! :)**

**Cheesy Joke of the Day (this is my favorite joke at the moment): Did you hear about the kidnapping at school? It's alright, he woke up.**

**Until next time,**

**R5AAFan :)**


	17. Friends Reunited

**Hey, guys! So, I think my updates will be during the weekend from now on. I'll update during the weeks if I can, but most of the time I can't, so you should expect updates during the weekends. I'm not giving a specific day, but... Yeah.**

**Anyway, how are you guys? Me, I spent my weekend like this; Saturday, I went at a Six Flags amusement park with my friends (during October, the release 100 'zombies' in the amusement park from 5:00PM to 11:00PM and it's was awesome), yesterday I read, watched TV shows on my laptop, and updated My Savior, and today (I don't have school today since it's Thanksgiving... I thank Thanksgiving for making my school close for the day, so I can update ;P) I'm updating Romantic & Reckless and this story, and my step-grandfather's coming over for dinner tonight. How did you spend your weekend?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally, or anything else you may recognize in this story.**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

I can't do this. I just can't.

What if I mess things up again? What if it's awkward? What if things just aren't the same anymore?

"Will you stop being nervous? Everything will be fine." Ally tells me on our way to meet up with Dez at the cafeteria.

"Are you sure about that?"

"100%. Trust me, he's nervous about talking to you too." She says. That makes me relax for a few seconds, but I freeze as soon as we enter the cafeteria. I hear Ally sigh and feel her hand slip in mine, intertwining our fingers. I give her hand a slight squeeze and she leads me to a table. When we stop infront of a redhead and a latina, I freeze again. The redhead—that's Dez for sure. The latina must be the girl he started hanging out with after I basically kicked him out of my life. Wait, is that Trish? Yup. It's her. Wow... Small world, huh?

I notice Dez tenses up, and it makes me feel slightly better to know I'm not the only nervous one.

Trish rolls her eyes and nudges Dez in the ribs. Ally does the same to me.

"Ow! Umm... Hey." Dez greets me awkwardly.

"Hey... It's been quite a long time, hasn't it?"

Dez nods. "Yeah." Awkward silence. "Oh, umm... Sit down." He motions to the seats across the table from him and the Trish girl. Ally and I let go of each other's hand and sit down.

"So, umm... How have you been?" I ask Dez.

"Good. How about you?"

"Good."

Awkward again. I glance at Ally for support, just in time to see her roll her eyes. "You guys are way too awkward."

"It's not my fault! You know I'm not good at making friends!" I tell her.

"Yeah, and I'm not good at that either! The only friends I have are you and Trish!" Dez points out, making me feel slightly bad. If I hadn't pushed him away, I'd be on his short list of friends, right now.

"But you guys were friends before!" Ally exclaims.

"In second grade!" We both exclaim at the same time, then grin as each other. "Ooh!" We fist pump.

"Hey, do you remember our old handshake?" Dez asks me.

I roll my eyes. "Duh, how could I forget?"

We both grin at each other again and do our old handshake, ending with a, "What up?!"

Trish raises an amused eyebrow. "You guys are so childish."

"Hey, where's the fun in being mature?" I ask her pointly.

"There isn't any." Dez answers for Trish, who rolls her eyes.

"So, Austin, Ally... What's going on with you two?" She asks us.

Huh. I guess Ally didn't get to tell her what happened this weekend.

"Umm... We're together." Ally and I say at the same time.

"What?!"

"She's my girlfriend." I point to Ally.

"And he's my boyfriend." Ally finishes, pointing to me.

"Since when?!"

"Saturday." Ally answers.

"It's been two days and you didn't tell me anything?!" Trish asks Ally.

"I did now." Ally replies innocently, making me chuckle.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

She shrugs. "I don't know."

"What happened with Elliot, anyway?"

At the mention of the jerk, I tense up. Probably noticing, Ally slips her hand back into mine and gives it a slight squeeze. I immediately relax a bit, taking a deep breath to try and not crush Ally's hand out of anger.

"I caught him pratically making-out with Cassidy at the mall. I broke everything up with him and ran to Austin. That's when this happened." Ally explains, showing our joined hands.

"I'm so sorry, Ally." Trish apologizes.

"It's okay. I'm with a way better guy, now." Ally says, shooting me a small smile. I can't help but smile back.

"I'm glad you came to that realization." Trish smiles.

"Took you long enough." Dez mutters, but loud enough for us to hear.

I chuckle. "Can't argue with that."

Ally huffs and slaps my arm. "Hey!"

"What? It's true."

"I know, but..."

"But nothing." I finish for her. She pouts, making me laugh. "Come on, Alls, you know I love you."

"You're lucky I love you too." She mutters, the pout still present on her face.

I grin. "I know."

She mumbles something that sounds like, "Boys", but I can't be sure.

Trish makes a face. "Oh, no... You guys are going to be that couple, aren't you?"

Ally and I glance at each other, both confused by her last question. "What couple?" We ask in sinc.

"That kind of couple. The kind that talk in sinc, finish each other's sentences, act all lovey-dovey, ignore everyone around them, and basically read each other's mind." She explains.

"Trish, it's normal for them to act like this." Dez argues. "They just got together. Just give them time. They'll eventually get used to dating and they'll aknowledge us more."

Oh, the irony. They're the ones ignoring us, yet they accuse _us_ of ignoring _them_? That doesn't even make sense...

"Umm... Hello?! We're still here, you know!" Ally exclaims.

"When did you become such an expert in love?" Trish retorts, completely ignoring Ally, which almost makes me laugh (Ally's glare stops me).

"Oh, I've always been a love expert. After all, they do call me _The Love Whisperer_." Dez whispers the last part.

"Really? You still call yourself that after so many years?" I ask Dez in disbelief. "And, like I kept telling you before, _no one calls you that._" I whisper the last part, just like Dez did.

"I'm telling you, they really do! You just can't hear them because they're whispering!" Dez protests/whispers.

"If I can't hear them, how can you?" I challenge, my voice still in a whisper. We must be weirding the girls out so much, right now.

"Uh, duh! Because I'm The Love Whisperer! I can hear whisperers."

"Can we stop whispering?" I whisper.

Dez nods. "Alright." He says, his voice back to its normal tone.

And as I continue to talk with Trish, Dez, and Ally, one question comes to my mind: How did I survive without them for so many years?

* * *

**Bam! Done!**

**Here ya go! I'm really sorry for having to only update during the weekends, guys, but it's seriously the only time I have. My friends, my family, and school (especially school) take up all of my time. Plus, I have three stories to update, so I'm really doing the best I can, here. I hope you understand.**

**Random Question of the Day: Like I asked in my first author note; how did you spend your weekend?**

**So, I thought about it, and I'm going to start answering your questions again. So if you have any questions about the story, me, or even life in general, feel free to ask away. You can even ask for advice if you need one. I'll answer everyone, I promise :) Also, if you feel like talking, PM me! I love talking to people :)**

**Until next time,**

**R5AAFan :)**


	18. The Park

**Hey, guys!**

**So, this is going to be a short chapter, considering I didn't have a lot of free time this weekend, so please don't complain. At least I updated. It was either that or no update at all.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally, or anything else you may recognize in this story.**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

_From: Ally_

_Meet me at the park?_

I look up from my phone to my grandma and her old friend (literally), chattering away like I don't even exist, and type a response.

_To: Ally  
Sure. When?_

_From: Ally  
Five minutes?_

The park is close to my place. I could make it.

_To: Ally  
I'll be there_

I place my phone back in my pocket and look around, wondering if anyone would even notice if I left. You see, today, it's been two years since my grandfather's death, so my grandma arranged a little gathering with my grandpa's family and friends to remember him by.

Honestly, I don't really like this event. It's like everyone's sad, but they're trying to fake their own happiness. It makes me sick. So, Ally's invitation to escape from this fake happiness surrounding me is welcomed.

"And then he—"

I cut my grandma off in the middle of her sentence. "Hey, grandma, would you mind if I went outside for a bit? Ally just texted me and she wants us to meet at the park."

"Oh, yes, it's fine, Dear." She smiles reassuringly, probably thinking this event is too much for me. Maybe it is. "Ally is Austin's girlfriend." My grandma explains to her friend.

"Oh, really? Austin, I didn't know you had a girlfriend!" The old lady shakes her head. "They grow up so fast."

Honestly, I don't know this lady. She's probably one of my grandma's 'bingo friends' she invited over a few times to have tea or whatever.

"Yeah, well... Gotta go." I fake a smile and walk away. Anything to get away from all these old people.

* * *

I've been waiting at the park for a while and Ally still hasn't arrived.

Just as I'm about to leave, I see her running up to me.

"Hey, I've been waiting for you for ten minutes. What took you so long?" I ask Ally once she stops infront of me.

She pecks my cheek before sitting down on the swing next to mine, panting. "Sorry. I was already running a bit late and my dad just _had_ to do his daily interrogation on where and with who I'm going."

"You told your dad about me?"

"Well, he already knew a bit about you from when I was going to your house a few weeks ago, although I don't remember why I was going there." She pauses and catches her breath, making me wonder if she ran the whole way here. "Anyway, it slipped out that we were dating, and now he wants to meet you."

I cringe. "Alls, you know I'm not good with people."

"I know, I'm sorry! But trust me, you're getting better at it! A-And I'll be there too. You have nothing to worry about. My dad would never judge you, he just wants to meet you." She assures me.

"But why?"

Yes. I'm whining. I really don't like meeting and talking with people, okay?

She gives me an 'are you kidding me?' look. "Aus. You're my boyfriend. And I'm his only daughter. Plus, doesn't help that you're my first boyfriend."

"What about Elliot? Wasn't _he_ your first boyfriend?" I ask her, as much as I hate thinking about Ally and Elliot together.

"You're my first _real_ boyfriend." She corrects herself, which makes me feel much better. "And either way, my dad never knew about Elliot and I'd like to keep it that way. Could we just never talk about him again and pretend he was never in my life?"

I raise an eyebrow. "But then how will we tell people how we got together? Whether you like it or not, Elliot has a part in that story."

She sighs. "We'll just tell the truth. Elliot was my homecoming date and I caught him kissing another girl. And never was my boyfriend."

I nod, loving how she thinks all of a sudden. "Alright."

"So, how are you?" She asks me. Because of me grandfather, I wasn't at school today, so I hadn't seen Ally since yesterday.

"I'm fine. Surely, this wasn't the happiest day of my life, but... I'm okay." I speak the truth.

"I'm glad to hear that." She smiles, looking relieved, although there's still a bit of worry in her eyes.

I sigh, getting off the swing. I grab Ally's hand, and pull her up. She stares at me, confused, and I bring her into a tight hug. "Alls, you don't have to worry about me. I'm not going to become the outcast again." I reassure her, hoping she'll believe me at some point.

"How did you know what I was thinking?"

"I know you. I can read you like an open book. But trust me. I'm not going to back to being that person. That Austin is forever gone. Sure, I'm insecure at times, and I don't think that'll ever change. I can't deny the fact that this is my life. But I have you now, and as long as you're with me, everything will be okay."

She nods against my chest. "Okay. But just so you know, I'll always be a little worried about you. I can't help it."

"It's okay." I tell her, then kiss her forehead. "You can't change your past, but you can change your future. And as long as I have you by my side, I know my future will be great."

She smiles. "Glad to hear it."

"Love you, Alls."

"Love you too, Aus."

* * *

**BAM! Done!**

**What'd ya think? If you're wondering why Austin is thinking the way he used to at the beginning, it's to show that he's completely changed. I didn't want to make him change completely all at once. Changing our behaviour is a long and complicated process.**

**Random Question of the Day: On a scale of 1 to 10, how much of a hardcore shipper are you? (I'm a 12 ;P)**

**Let's answer questions!**

**tephriam: What's your best high school memory?**

**My answer: Well, considering I just started high school a few months ago, I don't have a lot of memories yet ;) But, I'll tell you my best middle school memory, is that alright? Anyway, our end-of-the-year trip last year was pretty boring. But we spent most of our time in a bus, and that was actually really awesome. I just spent the entire bus rides talking with my friends and I think I never felt closer to them than back to those few days. We also had a few hours to ourselves in a huge mall (so huge it has rollercosters in it) and I went with other friends of mine and it was awesome. So, yeah, I think that was my best middle school memory. The small school play I was in last year was also pretty awesome. That's another best memory of mine.**

**Faith (guest): Did you skip the PE scene?**

**My answer: Sorry I didn't your question sooner. Anyway, I did. I thought since it's Austin's P.O.V., it wasn't really necessary to add it in this. Plus, all he did was smile at Ally in that scene.**

**Until next time,**

**R5AAFan :)**


	19. You What?

**Hey, guys!**

**If you're wondering, no, I'm not dead ;) I think some of you may have heard what's going on in Ottawa... or what went on, Wednesday. It's all over the medias, here. It was all over school too, since my school is about 30 or 45 minutes away from Ottawa and that most students' parents work there. If you didn't hear what happened, there was a shooting at the parliament. If you want to know more about that, well... Google should serve you pretty well ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally, or anything else you may recognize in this story.**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

"Hey, Aus."

I turn around to see Ally standing there, a smile on her face. I smile, so relieved to finally see her after an hour of pure boredom in history class that I almost fail to notice that her smile seems slightly forced. I quickly peck her lips before swinging my backpack on my shoulder and slamming my locker's door shut.

"Hey, Alls." I greet her back, intertwining our fingers together as we start walking out of the hell they like to call 'school'.

"So... My dad wants to meet you tonight." Ally says. Ah. That's why her smile was forced.

I cringe. "Tonight?"

Couldn't Ally's dad leave me a few days to prepare myself?

Ally nods. "He asked me to bring you to my house after school."

"Like... Now?"

She nods again as we get outside. "Yup."

"Oh, umm... Alright, then." I decide to agree, not seeing another option.

She stops walking and turns to me, eyeing suspiciously. "Are you sure you're okay with meeting my dad?"

This time, I'm the one who nods. "Yeah. Just a little nervous, that's all." I shrug.

I feel her squeeze my hand a bit and we start walking again. "Don't be. My dad's not like..." She trails off, suddenly looking uncomfortable, like she said something wrong.

"Like my dad?" I finish, knowing exactly what she was going to say.

She looks down, still obviously uncomfortable. "I-I didn't say that." She mumbles.

"But you thought it." I point out knowingly.

She looks back up at me, looking worried. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Hey, it's okay." I cut her off. "Don't worry about it. I know I have a pretty bad past, and I also know it must be hard for you. I get it, trust me. I know you're probably not really sure about how to act around me, what you can say and what you can't. I understand. But really, you don't need to worry about me every second of every day, I told you that already. You can talk freely with me without having to worry about whether or not it'll affect me. It's been a long time since it happened. You helped me get over it. I'm okay, now. No lies."

"Promise you'll tell me if something I say is... too much for you?"

"Promise."

After a few minutes, Ally looks up and suddenly stops. "We're here." She announces.

I look at the house and smile a bit. "Last time I was here, I was cleaning your pool."

She laughs. "I promise you you're not going to do any cleaning, this time." She jokes.

I laugh as well. "Better keep that promise." I joke back.

She gives me a knowing look. "Since when do I not keep my promises?"

I chuckle, nodding. "Point taken."

She nods toward her house. "Are we going in or not?"

I make a face. "Do I really have to answer that?"

She rolls her eyes and tugs at my hand. "Come on." She says and leads—pratically drags—me to the front door.

_Please let this night go well._

"Dad, we're here!" Ally calls, walking inside her house with me close behind.

"In the kitchen, Honey!" Who I'm assuming is Ally's father calls back.

"Follow me." Ally tells me and leads the way to what I'm guessing should be the kitchen. Walking in, I notice a man—most likely Ally's father—standing at the stove. He looks up and quickly drops whatever he was holding and walks toward us.

"You must be Austin." He says to me after eyeing me for a few seconds.

I nod. "That's me."

"Geez, you're tall." Ally's dad comments.

I glance at Ally, who rolls her eyes. I then turn back to her dad and nod awkwardly, chuckling slightly. "Umm... Thanks?"

"Sorry. I'm Lester." He shakes my hand before walking back to the stove. "Do you guys have homework?"

"I don't." Ally answers before turning to me. "Do you?"

"Nope. Free for the night." I say, pumping my fist in the air without any enthousiasm whatsoever. Don't get me wrong, I love spending time with Ally... But with her dad there? Not so much. Especially since I hate meeting new people.

Ally rolls her eyes and punches my arm. "Ow! Sorry!" I apologize, keeping my voice down for only Ally to hear me.

"So, Austin, what do you like to do in your free time?" Lester speaks up.

Oh, great.

"Small talk, my favorite." I whisper in Ally's ear.

"Sorry." She mouths and takes a seat at the counter. I sit down next to her.

"Umm... Play music, I guess." I answer Lester.

"You guess?" Ally repeats in what seems to be disbelief, then turns to her dad. "He's an amazing musician."

Ally thinks I'm an amazing musician? Nobody ever said that about me...

"Really?" Lester raises an eyebrow and turns to me. "So is Ally. You two have that in common for sure. Ever heard her play?"

"Dad!" Ally protests, blushing.

I nod, enjoying Ally's embarassement. Plus, she really is talented. "Yeah. She's amazing."

Lester smiles, looking pleased with my answer, which makes me slightly relieved. "Have you heard her last song?" He turns to Ally. "What was the title, again? Give Me a Break? Give Yourself a Break? I know it was give something a break."

"Your heart, Dad. It's called Give Your Heart a Break."

He snaps his fingers in realization. "That's it."

I chuckle, smiling at Ally as I come to the realization that her father doesn't know that song was about me. "Yeah, I heard it."

"She was practicing every waking moment. I think she was even huming it in her sleep. I don't know what it was for, but it seemed important."

Hmm, really? Interresting...

Ally's cheeks turn even more red. "Dad, stop it."

He ignores her. "Do you know what it was for, Austin?"

"Umm... Music class. We had to write a song and perform it infront of the class."

Technically, this isn't a lie. I'm just leaving some parts out, that's it.

Lester stays quiet for a few seconds, looking deep in thought. "You know, I think the song was about you, Austin."

"Me?" I point my thumb at my chest, raise an eyebrow, and look at Ally, faking surprise.

Ally rolls her eyes and punches my shoulder. "Shut up." She turns to Lester. "I told him it was about him."

"Really? So, I was right?"

"Yes, Dad. You were right." Ally deadpans, looking annoyed.

I have a feeling this night is going to be interresting.

* * *

It's been an hour. By now, Ally's dad knows my favorite food (pancakes), my favorite hobby (playing music), my favorite color (yellow), my favorite instrument (guitar), how many siblings I have (none), my favorite song (Give Your Heart a Break), and a bunch of other stuff I can't remember.

Honestly, for the first time, I actually don't mind all the questions. Weird, right?

"So... Austin. What are your intentions toward my daughter?"

Before I can answer, Ally starts having a coughing fit, and I immediately tap on her back, realizing she just choked. I sit back down next to her once she starts breathing normally again and she takes a few sips of water. "What did you just ask him?" Ally asks Lester, her voice raspy from choking. Honestly, I don't think I heard the question right either.

"What are his intentions toward you."

Nope. I heard right.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I heard right. Did you really ask him what are his intentions toward me?" Ally asks, shocked. By what? I don't know. I mean, don't every dad ask their daughter's boyfriend that question?

Lester nods. "Yes. If you want me to completely approve of him, I want to know he's a good guy and isn't planning on using you."

At that, I decide to interject. "With all my respect, Mr. Dawson, I'd would never—ever—think of using Ally or treating her badly. She's amazing, I love her, and if I ever hurt her... I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself."

"Honest?"

I nod. "Never been more honest in my entire life." And I'm telling the truth.

Lester narrows his eyes at me. "I believe you." He says after a moment. Suddenly, realization seems to dawn on him. "Wait, did you just say that you love Ally?"

Shit. That's it. This is the moment when Ally's dad will kill me.

I freeze for a second before relaxing as I realize that I might as well tell the truth. Ally knows it already. "Yes." I answer. "I love Ally." I repeat, looking at Ally's dad straight in the eyes to make sure he knows I'm honest.

"Well, now." Lester leans back in his chair, looking slightly took off guard by my... revelation. "Aren't you too young to know what love is?"

"Mr. Dawson..." I hesitate, not quite knowing what to say as my mouth opens and closes once or twice, searching for words. I probably look like a fish, right now. "When you find the right person..." I shake my head slightly, glancing at Ally before turning back to her dad. "All of it doesn't matter. Age, color, race—It doesn't matter. If it feels right, then... It is. Besides, we're seventeen. We're not that young. We know what we're doing." I point out.

"Yeah, okay." Lester says, still looking uneasy. "Just promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"Treat her like she deserves to be treated. Like she's the most important person to you."

Really? That's it?

I chuckle a bit before turning serious. "Mr. Dawson, she _is_ the most important person in my life."

Lester (finally) smiles. "Well, then." He stands up. "I'll leave you two alone." He grabs his plate and walks away.

Worried by Lester's sudden leaving, I turn to Ally. "Did I say something wrong?"

She shoots me a reassuring smile. "No. Everything you said was perfect."

"You have no idea how stressing this is." I tell her, wide-eyed. "I was trying so hard not to say something that would set him off. I just wanted him to like me so much."

"He does, don't worry about it. Besides, you looked so casual with your answers. I bet you did nothing but impress him."

I nod. "Good."

"And thank you. For everything you said." Ally hugs me. "It was sweet."

I hug her back tightly. "It was true." I release her from the hug and kiss her. I pull away a few seconds later, remembering Ally's dad could be on the other side of the wall. "I love you, Alls."

"I love you too, Aus."

* * *

**BAM! Done!**

**I know, I know... Not my best work. I think turning stories into another person's point of view isn't my greatest talent :P Plus, I wrote this about ten minutes after I woke up, so... Yeah.**

**Random Question of the Day: In what grade are you? (I don't know if that question made sense, but I'm talking school year wise)**

**Until next time,**

**R5AAFan :)**


	20. Nightmares

**Hey, guys! Yes, I do realize it's been two weeks since my last update and I feel awful. The last two weeks were used for mid-term exams and I've been busy studying, reading, and doing homework. I know it's always the same excuses but I swear it's true. High school is killing me.**

**On a completely different subject, snow started falling yesterday! I know you guys probably don't care, but I just love snow and winter so I had to share that with you :P**

**Anyway, could you guys go read My Savior if you haven't already? It's not that popular and I'd appreciate it if you guys could at least read it. The link's on my Twitter (I can't put it on my profile).**

**My Twitter: Mimi_R5Family**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally, or anything else you may recognize in this story.**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

"Are you sure you have to go? It's still pretty early." Ally's dad asks me as I put on my shoes.

"Yeah. I'd love to stay, but I have to do my chores before my grandma kicks me out." I say, trying to make it seem like some kind of joke. As Ally's dad chuckles, I make eye contact with Ally, who shoots me a worried look. Not wanting her to worry about me, I step forward and pull her into a hug. "Don't worry about it." I whisper in her ear so that her dad won't hear me before pulling back. Ally nods slightly, still looking a bit worried. Not wanting Lester to get suspicious, I try to ignore it as I shake his hand. "I'll see you around, I guess?"

Lester nods. "Yes, of course."

I nod curtly, then turn back to Ally with a smile, trying to shoot her a subtle 'don't worry' look. "I'll see you at school?"

She nods. "Yeah."

"Love you." I wink at her before making my way to the door, but keeping my eyes on her.

She smiles and the worry seems to leave her for a second. "Love you too."

Smiling at her one last time, I close the door behind me and start making my way back to my grandmother's place.

I don't want Ally to worry about me. I'm fine. I swear.

* * *

"I'm back!" I call as I open the front door.

"Austin, is that you?"

I groan, kicking off my shoes. "You gotta be kidding." I mutter under my breath. "Nope. I'm just a murderer who happens to have the keys." I call back.

"Very funny." My grandmother says, coming out of the kitchen (as usual). "Where were you?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes."

I sigh. "I was at Ally's house. Her dad wanted to meet me."

"Oh?" A surprised look appears on her face. "Did it go well?"

I shrug. "Yeah." I'm about to make my way to my room, when my grandmother's voice stops me.

"You got mail today."

Knowing who I usually get mail from, I shake my head. "Not interested."

"Please. At least take it."

I sigh and turn around, giving her an expectant look. Without a word, she takes an enveloppe from the small table by the door and hands it to me. I take it and go to my room without giving her a chance to say anything else. One thing for sure; I'm not doing my chores today.

Why does he have to send me a letter just when things are getting better in my life? When I'm actually happy? This is why I hate him.

As soon as I get in my room, I lie down on my bed and stare at the letter in my hands for several minutes. _Miami Prison._ Should I read it? It's probably loads of bullshit, anyway. Telling me how sorry he is and how he got better. Bullshit, I'm telling you.

But no matter how much my mind is telling me to just throw the letter away without reading it, I end up opening it anyway.

_Dear Austin,_

_I know you're mad at me. You have the right to be. I'm angry at myself too. I don't expect you to forgive me. And I know that sorry isn't enough. But I hope that one day, you'll find the strenght to forgive me._

I stop reading. I knew it. This is all bullshit.

Feeling an unwanted tear roll down my cheek, I rip the paper in thousands of pieces. How dare he ask me to forgive him? He doesn't deserve forgiveness. He's horrible. He deserves to die in jail.

* * *

_"Austin..." She whispers._

_"Mom?" I ask in a frightened tone, staring at her pale face._

_"Austin... Hide."_

_"Mom, what's happening?" I ask, panic growing inside of me._

_"I love you, Austin. Please. You need to go hide. Call the police."_

_"Mom, please! Answer me!" I cry, tears rolling down my cheeks._

_"Austin! Hide!" She screams._

I wake up, gasping for air, my cheeks wet. "Mom!" I whisper to no one, still panting. I look around and set my eyes on my alarm clock: 6:39AM. Might as well get up.

I get ready for school with a pounding headache. It's been a while since I had that dream. The letter probably brought it back. I'm telling you; he's always ruining everything.

Every. Single. Thing.

* * *

I decided to go home after first period. I had a killer headache, but I think I slept it off.

The phone rings and I answer since my grandmother is out doing the groceries.

"Hello?"

"Austin, hey, it's Dez."

I glance at the clock. School ended five minutes ago.

"Oh, hey. What's up?"

"I wanted to ask you if you wanted to hang out at my house. Well, if you're feeling better."

"Umm... Sure. When?" I ask him.

"Now?"

"Alright." I agree. He gives me his adress and I hang up. Dez's house isn't far from mine, so I can walk. Since I skipped lunch, I grab an apple and eat it quickly before making my way to Dez's house. When I get there, Dez answers the door almost as soon as I knock.

"Hey, Austin! How ya feelin'?" Dez chirps, opening the door wider to let me in.

"Better." I say, stepping inside.

"Good. So, what do you wanna do?"

I shrug. "I don't know. Do you have any ideas?"

He grins. "Well, I just got the new Zaliens videogame. Wanna play with me?"

I chuckle. "Sure."

He fist-pumps the air. "Yes! Come on, let's go!" He exclaims and skips (yes, _skips_) to who-knows-where. Laughing, I follow him.

Dez really hasn't changed one bit. And I'm really glad for that.

* * *

**BAM! Done.**

**Sorry, I know it's rushed and everything, but it's honestly all I could do.**

**Random Question of the Day: Out of all the stories I wrote (including my co-written ones), which one is your favorite?**

**Until next time,**

**R5AAFan :)**


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